Red Alert: The Dawn of Man - The Original
by Tallman7
Summary: Shepard had a hard enough time fighting the Reapers when it was just the Alliance on Earth. With the Soviet Union and Allies united as one, and four World Wars only a few centuries in the past, can he really hope to unite the galaxy to stop them? This story is currently being rewritten. See my profile for the new version!
1. Prologue Part 1: To the Heavens

**_Author Notes: FUCK DISCLAIMERS!_**

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Prologue Part 1: To the Heavens

The Commander sat at his desk, reading reports on the latest developments in Russia. He... longed for something. Exactly what was difficult to describe. It wasn't a longing for battle, or for bloodshed. He'd seen enough of those to last ten life-times. Nor was it a longing for victory. With the capture of Yuri and the recent merging of the timelines, conflict was ceasing over most of the planet. Despite heavy resistance in isolated pockets in a dozen different countries, the Third World War was coming to an end, and the Psychic Dominator Disaster had been averted, if only narrowly. What he was longing for was closure, the idea that everything he had worked for during the past twenty years would amount to something. The world had been locked in cycle of relentless war and fragile peace for his entire life, and he longed for the ability to believe the cycle was about to be broken.

Reading the report in front of him made that longing all the harder to bear, since it seemed to indicate the next war beginning before this one was even finished.

Allied Intelligence reported that there had been an attempted coup in the upper echelons of the Soviet High Command. While the details were sketchy at best, the information available indicated that one of the Unions' highest ranking generals, Nikolai Krukov, and one of his subordinates, Anatoly Cherdenko, had attempted to seize power using a highly experimental piece of technology. Exactly what the technology was, and how it would facilitate the coup were unknown, but the fact remained that even as the current Soviet leadership fell, others were making grabs at the reins of power, and this particular attempt was a disturbing echo of what had happened with Premier Romanov and his "advisor" Yuri not so long ago.

If there was one bit of good news, it was that the coup had been stopped shortly before it could be executed, but it made him wonder if another attempt was just waiting to happen.

Deciding he needed a reprieve from the events of the present, the Commander turned his attention to a different report that was decidedly more focused on the future. It detailed advancements made by Dr. Einstein and his team in Germany on the chronosphere technology used by the Allied forces. After receiving scattered reports that Yuri had potentially developed a moon base of all things, it was decided that the potential of the madman using an off-world location for a final stand was too great a threat not to act on. Consequently, he had requested that the good doctor focus his efforts to increasing the range and efficacy of his chronosphere, so that if there was a base on Luna, it could be dealt with swiftly, before Yuri had a chance to rebuild his strength. While the fears of a hostile base on the moon had been unfounded, the technological advancements made by Einstein's team were nothing short of remarkable. Not only could the Allies now send men and material to orbit and beyond with almost laughable ease, they could even send fully developed, if small, bases as far as Mars.

With the war winding down and fighting mostly ended, the massive military complex built by the Allies to stop Yuri and the Russians suddenly had nothing to do but sit around twiddle its metaphorical thumbs. With that in mind he had made the decision to focus the attention of the more… restless elements of his command outward, giving them something to do until he was sure they wouldn't suddenly be needed again as they were when Yuri revealed his Psychic Dominators. He'd been caught with his pants down once, and he wasn't eager to re-live the experience. They had been secretly exploring and mapping every square inch of both celestial bodies in a search for resources not easily available on Earth. Helium-3, widely believed by his best and brightest to be the future of power generation on Earth, was far more abundant in lunar regolith than anywhere else on Earth, having been deposited there over the eons by solar wind. If nothing else, the idea that Allied power generation capacity could be increased to match the Soviets without having to resort to those massive nuclear reactors they favored was appealing. And, he admitted to himself with some trepidation, the civilian possibilities might be even greater. Having a way to navigate around the solar system without needing to spend billions on rockets and space elevators would make the potential for human growth almost limitless.

Assuming of course they didn't blow themselves up first.

As he began reading through the report, something caught his eye. The area of Mars the expedition teams had managed to map was remarkable given the amount of time they had to do it. However, only four days ago, they had suddenly stopped, as if they had hit a giant invisible wall and were struggling to find a way past it. He wondered if they had been experiencing technical difficulties, or if there was some sort of supply shortage. With how focused he had been on the coup in Russia, he hadn't been keeping up on the reports from off-world lately, but if there had been any serious problems, Dr. Einstein would have contacted him personally to let him know. He had all but leapt at the chance to put his considerable talents towards something that didn't involve bodily harm to his fellow man, and the Commander couldn't say be blamed him. As a soldier, he had become desensitized to the realities of war in a way most civilians would never understand, but at heart, the doctor was a man of peace. As he had once told him _"__Well, Commander, you know, of course, that war, it is not my vocation! I am only a scientist."_

As he read further, he saw evidence of the doctors' rather scatterbrained method of research. While he had made some of the most important discoveries in human history, he fit the cliché of the absent-minded professor almost to a "T." The report practically oozed with enthusiasm at what he called _"A groundbreaking discovery that will shape mankind's history for generations to_ _come_," without actually giving any details as to what it was he had found. But, if he thought it was significant, and it explained what caused the exploration of Mars to come to a screeching halt, then it must be worth looking in to.

Picking up his phone, he dialed the direct line to the Off-world Expedition Force base in Houston, and was met a few moments later with the voice of General Bradshaw, the leader of the Force. After having commanded armies in three different theaters for twelve years, George Bradshaw was in need of some well-deserved R&amp;R when the Commander had put him in charge of the OEF, expecting it to be a relative cakewalk compared to being shot at by Ruskies every day.

"Nice to hear from you Commander, how are things in Russia?" he asked.

"Better every day, but I'm still wondering if we can hold everything together this time, or if it'll fall to pieces like it did with Yuri." the Commander sighed. "The most recent reports from Intel aren't good. But that's not what I'm calling about. I was reading the latest report from Doc Einstein about the progress of the Mars mission, and I was wondering if you could shed some light on what it is he's discovered. If I didn't know better, I'd swear he was being deliberately obtuse."

Bradshaw chuckled at that. "Well sir, I was actually beginning to wonder that myself. Today's report came in less than thirty minutes ago, and all it said was "Come to Mars, Commander. -_Einstein_." That's it. Five words."

"Are you sure you got the whole thing?" he asked incredulously. "That's not a whole hell of a lot to go on."

"We sent out a request for confirmation a few minutes ago, but considering Mars is two hundred million miles away at the moment, it'll be at least another half an hour before we get any sort of reply. In the meantime, the techs are pretty sure that the message wasn't interrupted or garbled, so it's got a lot of people down here scratching their heads." He paused for a moment. "Honestly, my gut tells me there's something we're not seeing here, sir, a big picture we can't make out yet. Coupled with Einstein's last report, I'm actually inclined to go to Mars myself and see what all the fuss is about. Unless the Reds have suddenly discovered our upgraded chrono technology, there isn't much that could go tits up that far away from Earth that would lead to that particular message. There's no indication the base has been attacked or damaged, only that they've become very mysterious very quickly."

"Hmm…" The Commander thought for a moment. Whatever it was that caused the doctor to become so close-mouthed must either be very important or very dangerous, and as the Supreme Allied Commander, both of those things fell squarely in his lap. If there was a problem, the best response would be to send a unit of chrono commandos and have them figure out what the hell was going on. If they didn't report back, he could send heavier reinforcements, but that would mean having to wait for hours between trips, and if whatever was going on was this important, he might not have that kind of time. Going himself would avoid that problem, and it would be nice to get away from everything for a few days. He'd been to Luna and Mars a few times in the past months, but it had been a while, and he could use a break. Then again, for all he knew, he could be walking into a combat zone, which was not a risk a man in his position was supposed to take.

Still, there were some advantages to rank.

"Alright George, I'll bite. Put together a platoon of C-commandos and legionnaires, and have them meet us at the transit hub on Luna. We're gonna listen to the Doc on this one. He's never steered us wrong before so I think we owe his some leeway. We'll go in two separate waves, with you and me in the second. If whatever's up there can take on a whole platoon of those boys, we have bigger problems than a compromised research station."

"Yes sir, I'll have the men ready in ten minutes. See you on Luna"

* * *

The trip to Luna Base was fairly mundane for the Commander. That fact still struck him as a bit odd. Less than a year ago, chrono technology had been one of the most expensive and complex tools in the Allied arsenal, requiring more than double the resources to train and outfit a single chrono legionnaire than to construct a tank. Chronospheres were massively expensive and ate power like crazy, and they could only transport a few vehicles or people at a time. On top of that, there was the effect the process had on unshielded living tissue. Just to transport infantry, specialized suits or sealed vehicles were required. Heck, the whole reason their campaigns had been so slow was the need to fit an entire base into a single mobile vehicle, and MCV's were damn expensive because of it. Now though, chrono technology was almost commonplace. It still wasn't ready for the civilian market, but most of his command had access to miniaturized versions of the chronospheres that could be used to move enough men and material to build several armies across entire continents for not much more than the cost of transporting them by plane. If fusion technology could be exploited the way his science teams seemed to hope, that cost would drop by ninety percent, making chronospheres cheaper than cars.

Of course, that would mean a complete overhaul of military tactical and strategic doctrine for the entire planet. It was pretty hard to defend anything when the enemy could chrono a tactical nuke onto your lap.

Trying and failing to put the present out of his mind, the Commander gave orders to his clerk to forward his messages to Luna Base for the time being. He stopped by his quarters and quickly changed into his dress blues. He figured that if something important was going to happen, he may as well look sharp when it did. As he began to leave, he did something rather out of character for a man in his position. He took his gun-belt, to some reminiscent of those worn by old west gunfighters, and strapped it around his waist. He reached into his footlocker and pulled out his personal sidearm, a Colt Single Action Army revolver with hand carved ivory grips. Placing it in his holster, he walked out of his quarters and began making his way to the embarkation room, which served as the central hub for chrono transit for his entire command on this continent. Any chrono travel to or from North America was supposed to pass through that room, with the exception of the off-world expedition at Houston, and forces that had no choice due to an emergency. As he walked, he received a few rather confused looks from the personnel he passed. It had been a long time since he had carried a weapon at all, let alone in his own HQ, despite regular visits to the range. Finally, one of the MP's at the door to the embarkation room, Samuels if he remembered right, put voice to the question everyone else had been thinking.

"Chasing after Pancho Villa, sir?" he quipped.

Smiling and shaking his head, he walked by the guard without saying anything. Compared to the weapons his men were armed with, the .45 caliber revolver was downright antique, the design being over a century old. Still, he had carried it into battle more times than he could count in his younger days, and he just couldn't bring himself to replace it. Not that it really mattered in the grand scheme of things. If he ever needed to use it, things were already too far gone for his choice of weapon to make a bit difference.

"Alright gentlemen, here's the quick version" he said, addressing everyone in the control room who had turned to face him as he entered. "Doctor Einstein has personally requested that I meet him on Mars. We're not sure exactly what he has for us, but we think it's big. Communications with Mars have been rather sparse lately, so we're not entirely sure what we're walking into up there. General Bradshaw and I will be following a platoon of commandos and legionnaires up there to see what's going on. While we don't expect any problems, we've been surprised in the past, so if for some reason we don't report in within the next twenty four hours, we'll be sending in the cavalry. Get on the horn to Colonel Douglass at Bradley and have him scramble a company of troops and two dozen battle fortresses and have them ready to move out in six hours. I want them prepped and ready just in case. In the meantime, I need transport to Luna for myself and General Bradshaw's team, who should be arriving shortly."

There was a flurry of activity in the control room as he made his way down the ramp that lead to the embarkation area proper. As he did, he heard alarms blare overhead as incoming travelers, presumably Bradshaw and his boys, suddenly popped into existence on a large elevated platform on the other side of the room. To be fair though, calling the embarkation area a room was like calling a Kirov a balloon. The massive, hangar-like facility he was in was a rough circle nearly a mile across, and had ceilings 200 feet high in some places. Massive supporting columns 50 feet in diameter were placed at regular intervals throughout the structure and made it look not unlike a gigantic beehive, with each and every cell in that hive having platforms stacked 25 feet apart three, four, even five layers high. The whole gigantic complex was designed to act as a central transit hub for potentially millions of men and thousands of vehicles, as well as cargo and even complete buildings. It had taken them over a year and tens of millions to build, but it was designed to act as the LAX of the future, and would eventually be turned into a civilian run chronoport, assuming the Allies and the Union could stop shooting at each other.

Making his way to the platform that led to Luna base, he was greeted along the way by the somewhat weary looking visage of General Bradshaw. He looked much the same as when the commander had last seen him, though there were a few more wrinkles around his eyes and mouth, and his hair was a bit grayer. Smiling, he shook hands with the General, who returned the smile.

"Well George, I guess this beats reading reports all day." he said, hints of anxiety creeping into his tone. "Not exactly what I would call real R&amp;R, but it'll do for the time being."

"Yes sir. To tell you the truth, I've been thinking about taking some leave and going somewhere nice and sunny, but as they say, no rest for the wicked. I'd like to introduce you to Captain Klara Hahnburg" he replied, turning to the lead officer of the men he had brought with him. "She's with the German Special Forces and commander of our little scouting party."

The officer, who looked to be in her mid-thirties, although it was hard to tell under the suit, snapped to attention and saluted. "Captain Hahnburg, reporting sir."

"At ease, Captain. I assume the General briefed you and you men on the mission?

"He gave us the basics sir, but we didn't have time for much else." she replied, in a somewhat thick Prussian accent.

"To tell you the truth Captain, there isn't much else to tell. We're headed to Luna then on to Mars. We'll know more when we get there."

She hesitated for a moment before responding. "It's hard to believe sir. Half an hour ago, I didn't know we'd even made it past geosynchronous orbit. To discover that there's a full-fledged base on the moon and Mars is rather jarring."

"That understandable Captain, but if we can end this damn war, the knowledge should become public rather quickly. We can't keep something this big secret from the Union forever, and when they find out, the whole world will know. As it stands though, we should be on our way." He suited his words by turning to the elevator that lead to the outbound platform to Luna base, and they fell in quickly behind him. As they made the short journey upwards to the platform, Bradshaw turned to him, a bit of a smile on his face.

"What do you think we'll find up there?" he asked.

"If I knew that, I'd still be in my office reading reports." said the Commander, exiting the elevator. As he made his way into the transport vehicle on the the platform with his squad, he turned to the General, klaxons whining in the background as the chronosphere charged. "Tell you what though; if it surprises me any more than Yuri did with his Psychic Dominators, the first round's on me."

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**_Edit: This story is currently (as of 5/11/2014) being rewritten. For the up-to-date version, check out my profile. Peace!_**


	2. Prologue Part 2: The Eagle and The Bear

Prologue Part 2: The Eagle and The Bear

"I like single malt Scotch, Commander. The good stuff mind: twelve years old, at least."

"If what I'm seeing here is accurate, George, I'll get you a case. Assuming there even _is_ a Scotland left when we get back to Earth."

Bradshaw laughed dryly at that. "A bit melodramatic, don't you think sir? If the Reds had wanted to alter history, they already would have, and we wouldn't know about it to begin with."

"That's the problem George" he retorted, a bit of anger creeping into his voice. "They _could_ have changed god knows what already, and we'd have no way of knowing. For all we know, they've changed a dozen different things, and this is just another attempt to start the whole damn cycle over." He threw the data-pad into the wall as he stalked angrily over to the observation window and stared at the Earth. He regretted that immediately. He was the Supreme Allied Commander, not a ten year old child throwing a temper tantrum. "Maybe you're right, maybe I'm overreacting, but we've seen firsthand what the results of time travel can be. Sure, we used it to stop Yuri from taking over the world, but if what Doctor Einstein told us is true, he tried to prevent a devastating war, only to cause an even _more_ devastating one. Not only that, but it allowed Yuri to attempt that psychotic plot of his, and we both know that human civilization has never, not once in nearly a quarter of a million years, been as threatened as it was when he activated his Dominators. He might never have been able to even _attempt_ that if events had just played out naturally. The fact is, _any_ change to the timeline has the potential to be unbelievably disastrous. And now, we find out the Russians have their own working Time Machine!"

He reached up and rubbed his temples, hoping to quell the headache he could already feel coming on. He wasn't sure what he found harder to believe: that the Russians had a Time Machine, or that they hadn't used it. If flew in the face of nearly everything he'd come to expect of the Soviet High Command. If they had an opportunity to reverse the war in one instant, they would have taken it. They did it with Yuri when they disabled every ICBM the Allies had in one fell swoop. He couldn't see why they wouldn't do it again, and it baffled him.

"Maybe Soviet High Command isn't running the show anymore." He hadn't realized he'd spoken that last though out loud. Bradshaw continued. "We've been steadily dismantling their leadership for months now. It's possible one of the other Soviet Commanders had some common sense and managed to stop Krukov before he could act. That would explain why the coup failed to begin with. And in Einstein's defense, he did what he did with the best of intentions. There was no way he could have foreseen someone like Yuri."

"The road to hell is paved with good intentions," he replied bitterly, "over the bodies of good people who got in the way." He paused. "But I suppose you're right about Yuri. If you'd told me I'd be fighting an egomaniacal madman with psychic powers and genetically enhanced monsters at his beck and call when I joined the force after WWI, I'd have called you crazy."

He walked back over to the desk and sighed heavily. "Alright, let's sit down and go over this one more time." he said, sitting in a padded chair as he motioned for the General to do the same. "The Russians are on Mars. How they managed to figure out we had a base there, we may never know, and I'm not sure it even matters. The fact is, they managed to develop a working Time Machine, which apparently can also function like a chronosphere. That would normally be disturbing all by itself, considering chrono technology is one of the only edges we have over them at the moment. But, rather than use the Time Machine to alter the past and try to win the war, they used it to _stop_ someone planning exactly that, and turned it over to us, on a top secret base they shouldn't even know exists no less. If I didn't know better, I'd say I was drunk just for saying those words out loud."

"Well Commander, we can get to that part later." He couldn't help but grin a little at that. Bradshaw might be his subordinate, but it was nice to have someone he could blow off some steam with during the little off time he had. "First though, I think we have to give the Russians some credit. They had the foresight to stop Krukov from using that damn thing, even knowing it was the only possible way they could win the war. To be honest sir, I don't know that I could've done the same. The US hasn't been on the losing end of a war in a century and a half, and if our positions were reversed, I might've said the hell with it and changed the time line, consequences be damned. Now with that in mind, there's only one Soviet Commander that I know of that has the strength of character and the wisdom to do just that."

"The Bear." he said, almost completely monotone.

"That's the one. Now I know we have next to no intel on the man. Hell, we knew more about Yuri when he showed himself, and even that was damn little at the time. The fact is though, he's the only one the Russians had that _ever_ managed to take you in a fair fight. Sure, Vladimir might've given you hell time and again, but only because he had a wall of armor to throw at you. Even then, you managed to hold the Air Force Academy in Colorado with relative ease."

"I'd hardly called that particular assignment easy, George. Though compared to those that came after, it was almost pleasant." he said, images of Chicago coming to mind immediately. "That said, The Bear always struck me a little different than the rest of the Reds. Maybe it was the way he fought, maybe it was his skill. I don't know. As strange as it sounds, he almost seems to be like a general of old, like Hannibal, or Caesar, or Scipio: respectable and honorable, even in this day and age. Maybe I'm just an old foggy, but I have to admit I admire that in the man. There was a time in war where a general would surrender in person, turning over his sword to a man he acknowledged as his better. And his opponent would return it. Then, they'd sit down and have _dinner_ and _talk_ like civilized human beings. I'd thought that era was long dead." Something crept into his voice at the end there. Something sorrowful. Bradshaw caught it.

"You took Ben's death a lot harder than most of us." he said. "You know him better than anyone else except his wife, and you had to watch it happen. Maybe there is one good thing that came out of this time travel, time line, causality crap."

"Yeah, I suppose there is. Back to the matter at hand though: what do we do about the Russians on Mars? We can't let them say there any longer than necessary, not without figuring out why they're there in the first place. And I'm damn hesitant to go charging in guns blazing. Not only do they have Einstein and his entire team hostage, they still have that damn Time Machine. If we send those boys in hot, a bloodbath could be the _best_ case scenario."

"Do they really have them hostage, though?" Bradshaw asked with a knowing look in his eye.

"What do you mean, _do they have him hostage_? They're there aren't they?"

"True, but the fact of the matter is that they've been there for a while. As I see it, there are only two real possibilities. One: The Russians took the base by force, and Einstein barely managed to get the first transmission out trying to warn us. If that were true though, then why the second transmission? The Reds had us cold, and they could have had the entire base locked down. Sure we could storm it eventually, but it would be damn costly. They could just grab the research, take Einstein, and skedaddle, and we wouldn't know a damn thing until we got there. By then it would be too late. Instead, they sent us a second message with details of their presence, and told us flat out they have a Time Machine. Unless they had a sudden attack of crazy, that doesn't make any damn sense."

"OK, fair enough. But what else would explain all this nonsense? Why the cryptic messages? Why didn't Moscow just call us in the first place? I have a red phone on my desk that goes straight to the Kremlin. It's buried in papers and covered in dust, but it's there. Why would the Soviet High Command go to all that trouble to put a team on Mars, and then just casually tell us about it in such an obtuse and indirect fashion?"

"Like I said, maybe they aren't running things any more. My second theory is this: The Bear is on his own." he said, emphasizing the last three words. "He stopped Krukov from using the Time Machine, but knew if he turned it over to the Soviet High Command, they'd use it anyway, and possibly damn us all. So instead, he went to the one place he _knew_ they couldn't reach him. He was willing to sacrifice his only chance to turn the war around, so maybe… maybe he's accepted the loss and is willing to hand his sword over to the better man."

That gave him pause. He hadn't considered the possibility that The Bear would defect. Then again, this wouldn't be a defection so much as it would be a surrender. Bradshaw pressed on. "That might explain the cryptic messages. If The Bear was afraid of being discovered, he might have asked Einstein to limit his reports as much as possible on the off chance they were intercepted. You know as well as I do that the Reds don't take kindly to traitors."

"True, but I wouldn't call this treason. This is just an honorable surrender."

"Sir, you wouldn't call what Washington did treason either, but then again, history's written by the victors. If his actions bring an end to the fighting, not just temporarily, but once and for all, he'll be considered a Hero of the People in Russia. It'll make his superiors look like a bunch of proud idiots who would rather sacrifice the lives of millions more than they already have in a hopeless attempt to turn things around. But there's no guarantee of that. If he was discovered, they'd string him up by his thumbs, war hero or not. This may have been his only option. He could just be there to turn over the Time Machine and discuss terms. He may even figure that by approaching us outside the normal chain of command, and with the Time Machine as a good will gift, that we'll put him in charge of what's left of the Union when this is over. After all, we _have_ been doing our damndest to dismantle what leadership they have left."

He considered that for a long while. It made the most sense of anything else he could think of, and it did explain all of the craziness that had been going on. Still, it was almost too good to be true, and that always made his hackles rise. Once again though, his friend had talked the Commander into doing something he knew he shouldn't, strictly speaking. But if he had a chance to end this, once and for all, he was going to take it, consequences be damned.

* * *

"Alright ladies, let's get this show on the road." Bradshaw bellowed, his voice loud even through his protective suit. "We know the Commies have boots on Mars, but our best guess is that they're friendly. All of us are going up there in one wave, and we're gonna see if they came to talk or to shoot. I don't want anyone doing something stupid here. We have a lot of people on that station, and most of them are scientists, Doctor Einstein included. With the Commander and me riding shotgun on this one, we can't afford for this to turn into the O.K. Corral. You are _not_ to fire unless fired upon. I don't care if the entirety of the Red Army is there; you are to assume all persons are friendly until they do something to show they're not. Is that understood!?

The commandos and legionnaires assembled on the embarkation platform all responded with a salute as they shouted "YES SIR."

"Good. Be on your toes people, we're going into this one blind. Chrono control, transport when ready." he said, looking at the dozen or so techs in the control room.

"Yes sir, transport in five. Four. Three. Two. One."

And suddenly they were there. Chrono travel wasn't like the movies, where teleportation involved beams of light, or flashes, or a person slowly fading into and out of existence. It was sudden, like the snap of the fingers, and it could be jarring for someone who'd never done it before. Fortunately, every man here had been through the process hundreds, perhaps even thousands of times. Excepting, of course, the Commander himself and General Bradshaw. He felt odd admitting that to himself. Despite the fact he lived not two hundred yards from the largest chrono travel hub in existence, he'd only ever gone through a few dozen times.

The first thing he noticed was the five conscripts. He'd been expecting them, although not quite so few. Then again, a fairly primitive chronosphere knockoff like what the Russians had probably couldn't hold more than a dozen people, so maybe anticipating an army of them was expecting a bit much. What he wasn't expecting was for them to be playing cards and drinking vodka with the SAS sniper and the two SEALs assigned to the base. He also hadn't been expecting the other five people he could see, nor the situations they were in. Doctor Einstein was bent over a set of what looked to be technical drawings on a small table, and was making notations on them while speaking to another scientist the Commander didn't recognize. Based on the red hammer and sickle patch on the arm of his lab coat though, he was probably a Russian. Near the disembarkation platform, three women were sitting around a table, discussing something while drinking from coffee mugs and laughing. One of them was Major Eva Lee, the CO of the Mars base, and a good friend of his. A second was a Russian Lieutenant who looked vaguely familiar, which seemed odd considering he hadn't personally met a Russian in nearly a year, and she had a face and figure not easily forgotten. The last was a rather petite, almost fragile, looking woman who had her back turned to him. She was in a Russian officer's uniform, but he couldn't see any rank insignia, so he wondered who she could be.

The Commander took all that in a little over a second before yelling, almost hysterically "WHAT THE HELL IS GOING ON HERE!?"

The sudden appearance of nearly fifty chrono legionnaires and commandos not twenty feet away, coupled the sudden outburst from the Commander had an effect that could almost be described as comical, if it wasn't occurring in a top secret base on Mars. One of the conscripts who had been drinking and leaning back in his chair lost his balance and fell backwards to the floor with a yelp. The Russian Lieutenant spilled her coffee on her uniform and suddenly exclaimed "дерьмо!" with a mixture of anger and embarrassment in her voice. The Allied soldiers in the room, including Eva, suddenly snapped to attention and saluted the Commander, sporting sheepish and ashamed looks on their faces, and in the case of the sniper, poker cards in his hand. Most of the Russians, the scientist included, looked downright dumbfounded at the instantaneous appearance of four dozen of the deadliest men on earth, and only stared stupidly. The only people to maintain any semblance of dignity were Doctor Einstein and the Russian officer, who rose to her feet smoothly and faced the Commander after setting down her coffee.

"Ah, Commander, it is good to see you again." said Doctor Einstein as he turned to face the now thoroughly baffled and increasingly furious Commander. I vas vondering ven-"

"Commandos, secure the exits and everyone in this room, including Major Lee and the Doctor! If anyone here moves for a weapon, shoot them!" he snapped, now completely out of patience with the situation at hand. "Until I get to the bottom of this, no one does anything without my authorization, and that includes _talking_! Now, Major Lee!" he yelled, whirling to face the startled woman, "What the HELL is going on here!?"

She opened her mouth to answer but stopped suddenly as the chrono commandos used their suits' built in transporters to appear behind or beside every single person in the room, P-90's pointed at their heads. She gave a nervous glance at the two commandos that had suddenly teleported next to her, and then pressed on with her explanation, a bit of nervousness and fear in her voice. "Sir, the Russians are friendly. They came here to turn over a Time Machine developed by Dr. Zelinsky." She threw a glance at the Russian scientist as she continued. "Sir, we would've contacted you with more information, but the Commander here didn't want her superiors to know what she had done. She was afraid that if we told you too much, they'd intercept the message and she'd be branded a traitor." Her explanation spilled out of her mouth in a continuous stream of words, slowly getting faster as she progressed. Despite the fact that it was very nearly exactly what he and Bradshaw had theorized before leaving, it did little to quell his anger.

"And since when you, any of you" he snarled, sweeping his hand across the room, "take orders from a commie? This is an unbelievably serious breach of protocol, Eva! From what you've just said alone, every single person in this room, including you and the Doctor, could be _shot_, either for espionage or for treason!"

"Sir, I- I- I- …" Eva stuttered, her eyes going wide at the idea of what the consequences of her actions could be. Surprisingly though, it was the Russian officer who answered. Saluting primly, she replied.

"Commander, please, if anyone here should be punished it is me. These men came here under my authority, and it was I who asked the Major and the Doctor to restrict their reports. Do not punish them for my mistake."

"And who exactly are you?" he asked, anger thick in his voice.

She started a bit at the question, but then a small grin crossed her lips. "Isn't it obvious, _Eagle_? I'm The Bear."

That caused when could best be described as a cognitive train wreck in the Commanders' thoughts. Staring blankly for a moment, he asked in a flat voice "You're The Bear?"

"Da. Do you have a problem with that?"

"I… Oh hell." he remarked as he walked over to the table where the poker game had been going. He picked up a half full bottle of vodka and took a large swig, muttering "I'm too sober for this"


	3. Prologue Part 3: An Unnatural Union

_**Author notes: (There's a TLDR section at the bottom) Well folks, this is the last part of the prologue. I know it focused mostly on C&amp;C stuff, but the vast majority of the story will probably revolve around Shepard and his crew, just like the games. I toyed with the idea of doing something really out there to try to give the story that flair of originality, but I decided against it. This is my first fic, and trying to write something that massive and complex might be a bit beyond me. After all, Tolkien didn't start his career by writing **_**Lord of the Rings**_**, and George Lucas didn't start with **_**Star Wars**_**. Besides, sometimes you don't want a complex, multi-layered, universe spanning epic. Sometimes you just want a simple little story, something a little safe. For every **_**Inception**_** and every **_**Frankenstein**_**, there's a **_**Freddy vs. Jason IX**_** and a **_**Twilight: Sparkly Shit**_** or whatever. Both have their place, and I've decided to focus this on the more… safe path. Baby steps here people, baby steps.**_

_**As far as why I went with some of the artistic choices, well, it's complicated. The commanders in RA were always faceless and nameless, and I wanted this to reflect that. At the same time, this isn't a self-insert, and I haven't made up my mind on OC's yet. We'll see. Either way, it's surprisingly difficult to write about a character without referring to them by name. It sounds awkward, and kills suspension of disbelief. I eventually had to fall back on my old friend, TVtropes, for help dealing with it. Lampshade hanging, leaning on the fourth wall, everything.**_

_**Another thing I focused on was the dialogue, or more specifically, the exposition. Ben Croshaw, AKA Yahtzee, is one of my favorite game reviewers and critics, and he once said that the best writing is succinct and punchy. He actually said it in his review of Mass Effect, and he used it to illustrate what he thought the problem was with the game and series as a whole: the massive, bottomless walls of text. Codex, dialogue trees, pages of exposition, all of it. I worry somewhat that I use way too many words to convey a message when I could use fewer and say more. That said, the dialogue, and how it added to the depth and richness of the universe, was always what made Mass Effect so appealing to me. Third person shooters are a dime-a-dozen, but universes like ME don't just build themselves. That's probably why I'll end up leaning on it so much rather than go for a totally original story. This is probably one of the things I could use feedback on the most. Unlike Bioware, I'm not above changing something to please people who read my work, even if it means I have to bend my pride and "artistic integrity" a little. I know, cheap shot.**_

_**The last thing I wanted to cover was the mechanical stuff in my work. I try really hard to make sure the prose I write flows as smoothly as possible. I read through each section I write four or five times, even these notes, looking for typos, grammatical errors, word and idea repetition, unclear and missing meanings and subtexts, unnatural sounding dialogue, everything. It sounds tedious, and it is to a certain extent, but it's part of the way I write. I may not be the most creative or artistic individual out there, (That would be Full-Paragon, author of "And the Meek Shall Inherit the Galaxy." If you haven't, you should check it out, it's AMAZING.) but I take pride in my work, and I want it to be a solid as possible. I might not be able to create an epic story, but I can create a well written one. For example, that last sentence originally said "**_**I might not be able to write an epic story, but I can write a well written one."**_** Too many uses of the word "write." See what I mean. It's kinda OCD, but, C'est la vie.**_

_**TLDR; I guess what I'm trying to say is that any feedback is appreciated. Finally, I might combine the Prologue parts into one at some point, but I'm not sure it matters. Let me know.**_

* * *

Prologue Part 3: An Unnatural Union

"OK, you've convinced me not to shoot everyone, though the booze may have helped some too. Now, I want you to start from the beginning and give me the highlights on what series of events could've brought the Russian Bear to my Mars base." the Commander requested, somewhat more composed now than he had been before the fifth of vodka.

"I do have a name, you know." she said, a look of annoyance on her face. She pressed on. "But, no matter. Approximately one week ago, Doctor Zelinsky contacted my aid, Lieutenant Zofia, about a possible coup that was manifesting in the Soviet command structure. What's left of it, anyway."

"I thought I recognized you, Lieutenant. We have almost as little intel on you as we do your boss." He paused as a small smile appeared on his face. "At least we had a photo. When the rest of my generals discover that I got my ass handed to me at Hawaii by a five foot tall, ninety pound woman, they'll laugh out of their chairs."

"Are you implying that a _woman_ can't do as well as a man on the battlefield, _Eagle_?" she spat, anger thick in her voice. She pointed towards him threateningly and continued "Because let me tell you, I worked damn hard to get where I am today. If you think climbing the ranks as a woman is difficult in the Allied Army, then you should see what it's like in the Russian Red Army!"

"No, I just… well I-I-I mean… It's so unexpected, after all the Reds-the Russians-you-I didn't mean that…you're just so _young_, not to mention pretty, and-and-and…" He blathered, almost incoherently, a rosy flush coming to his face, before trailing off and pausing a moment to regain his composure. "And you just turned the most powerful man in the Allied Armed Forces into a babbling idiot in fifteen seconds. Christ, you really are The Bear, aren't you?"

Bradshaw devolved into a fit of cackling laughter at that, and Major Lee put a hand to her mouth, trying and failing to cover the wide smile and silent giggle. The anger in his counterpart's face drained away, and was replaced with a mischievous grin. "That I am. Though I will admit, you're not quite what I'd anticipated either. I expected you to be more… forceful. Most Russian Generals are like Krukov or Vladimir. Proud, arrogant, stubborn. You seem like a pleasant person, which is more than I can say for most of the Soviet High Command. You don't get far in Russia being nice. It's actually quite refreshing."

"Fair enough. And George." he said, facing the just recovering General. "If you breathe one word of this to anyone, I'll reassign you to Canada. I hear it's nice this time of year. The moose are rutting, and the snow is just pilling up."

"Sure you will, Commander. Sure you will. Back to the matter at hand though, you were saying something about a coup, ma'am?"

"Yes. Anatoly Cherdenko, head of our Special Research Division, approached General Krukov with information about a project his department had been working on for some time, a project that he believed could single-handedly reverse the war. Apparently, he planned to use a prototype Time Machine to travel back to 1927 Brussels, specifically the Solvay International Physics Conference."

"I vas at zat conference. I remember debating vis Niels Bohr." said Einstein, chipping in for the first time since the Commander had calmed down. "Vhy vould he… _mien gott_."

"Yes, Doctor. He knew you were at the conference, and it was one of the only times in history where you had a known and definite location where he could approach you alone."

"He vas going to erase me, just like I erased Hitler…" He saw the puzzled looks on the faces of the Russians present. "Zis is… somevhat embarrassing. Nearly szirty years ago, I used my prototype chronosphere to travel back to 1924 to... remove… a man named Adolf Hitler. I believed him to be responsible for Germany causing ze Second Vorld Var in my original timeline, a var zat caused fifty million deaths, including six million Jews, who were… exterminated… by his Nazi regime in an ethnic cleansing known as ze Holocaust. I had hoped to prevent zat var, but instead… I made szings vorse." He said the last slowly, pain and regret filling his voice.

The Russian scientist, Zelinsky, recovered from the shock of Einstein's revelation first and spoke up. "You mean you _used_ a Time Machine already!? If you hadn't done that, this war could've been prevented, and Yuri would never have come to power. How could you be so reckless?"

"I had only ze best intentions. Zat… zat monster _murdered_ six million of my people, I had… I had to do someszing." he responded dejectedly, deflating as he spoke. He looked tired, ragged. He wasn't getting any younger, and the wars had taken their toll.

"The road to hell is paved with good intentions, Doctor." replied the now incensed Soviet commander in an uncanny echo of what the Commander himself had said not that long ago.

"Not to mention the possible repercussions of changing something that extreme!" said Zelinsky, practically yelling. "You had no way of knowing what unforeseen consequences would arise because of what you did!"

"Now just a minute here." interjected Bradshaw, his face turning purple with anger. "The Doc is only human, and to err is human. No one feels worse about his actions than he does, and we should-"

"WORSE!? At least I had the sense to stop my Time Machine from being used, you buffoon! I would have expected the _great Doctor Einstein _to at least-"

"ENOUGH!" shouted the Commander, slamming his fist into the table. Everyone froze at his outburst, their heads snapping to meet his piercing gaze. "We won't solve anything by insulting each other and arguing. We've come to realize the consequences of time travel, and we've learned that _particular_ lesson in blood and death. The fact is, we can't undo what happened, so we should at least try to learn from our mistake so we don't repeat it. Now… if you wouldn't mind continuing where you left off…"

"Yes, well…" she started slowly, reigning in her anger. "Cherdenko _was_ planning to erase the Doctor. He knew that it was he that gave the Allies their advanced technology and it was he that was most instrumental in their... your... victory. He thought that by removing him, a Soviet victory would be inevitable." She sighed before continuing "But as much as that would have meant to my people, even to me personally, the cost was simply too high, the risks too great. Gregor realized that, at the very least, Russia would lack its nuclear arsenal, since Doctor Einstein was so instrumental in the development of atomic weapons. So, he contacted me, believing that I was the only Soviet commander that would have the presence of mind to help him stop Cherdenko."

"Alright, I suppose that makes sense." replied the Commander. "I guess I can even see how you might figure that coming to me would be your only way of avoiding the chopping block when your superiors discovered what you had done. But how in god's name did you even know about this facility? This and Luna Base are the most heavily guarded secrets in the Allied military. If there's a leak in my command structure this big, I'm sure as hell not letting you go anywhere or do anything until I plug it, Bear." He said the last as he leveled a threatening gaze at his counterpart.

"There's no need for threats, _Eagle_. I intended to tell you everything when I decided to… defect." She said the word with a grimace. "I'm already far past the point of no return, so a few state secrets more or less isn't going to bother me. And when are we going to stop using these silly codenames, Commander? We're both people, and we both have names. It made sense when we were trying to kill each other, but that's in the past."

"Just answer the question"

She rolled her eyes and sighed heavily "Uhg… fine. We didn't actually know you had a base on the moon, and we weren't even sure about Mars. Three weeks ago, one of our spy satellites detected an extremely powerful radio broadcast from Houston that was aimed at Mars. It was heavily encrypted, and we couldn't understand it, but the signal was still there. In fact, the radio beam was so narrow and focused, we wouldn't have detected it if it hadn't passed right through the satellite. In truth, it was like hitting a fly with a bullet from a thousand kilometers away. We… got lucky."

"You have spy satellites? I didn't know the Union _had_ an operational space program. Still, I guess we both have our secrets." A though occurred to him. "If you didn't know we had a base on Mars, why did you come all the way out here? You could've been stranded on a barren rock a quarter of a billion miles from home. That's a hell of a risk."

She hung her head. "Da, it was. But honestly, I had no choice. Cherdenko had to be stopped, and I knew High Command wouldn't see it that way. Gregor, Zofia and I…" She hesitated, a lost look appearing in her eyes. "Dying of asphyxiation on Mars is far preferable to what they would have done to us if we'd been caught. Trust me." Her voice was weak at the end, and the Commander couldn't help by feel some sympathy for her. He'd heard rumors of what the Reds did to traitors, and it wasn't pretty.

"Alright." he said at last. "You convinced me. If the three of you and those five conscripts really are defecting, there are procedures to go through. I'll have to contact the President, and you'll all need to be thoroughly debriefed. You understand that for security reasons, you can't stay here or on Luna, but we can find somewhere safe for you in the States. In the meantime, we're going to need to dismantle that damn Time Machine of yours. It's simply too dangerous to leave in one piece, but I'd rather not just blow the thing up. Doctor Zelinsky, you'll be allowed to stay here and assist with the process, and then you'll be moved to Earth. Bradshaw and I'll be heading back to Luna to fill out the mountains of paperwork this is gonna generate. Captain Hahnburg." he said, turning to the Captain, who'd been waiting patiently near the disembarkation platform this whole time. "Round up your men and have them escort the conscripts and these officers back to Luna for transit to Earth. The General and I will be accompanying you as soon as-"

"Vait vait vait Commander, you can't leave yet." interrupted Einstein. "Zer is someszing urgent, someszing you must know about right avay. I believe I mentioned it in my reports before szis…situation developed."

"Well, what is it Doc? I'm kinda busy at the moment."

"Vell, Commander, ve discovered…" he trailed off, throwing a concerned look at the Russians sitting at the table.

"Oh the hell with security, just spit it out. It's not like anything can surprise me any more than I already am."

"Vell… ve… ve discovered a piece of technology here on Mars during vone of our survey missions. Ze technology Commander… it's alien."

* * *

"I'm also a bit of a wine snob sir. If you could get a bottle or two of a nice Riesling or Chardonnay, I can get the cheese to go with it."

"George, if you weren't my best armor commander, I'd punch you right in the nose."

"Don't be sore Commander. I'll share. It's the least I can do, considering."

"I feel like this is a bad dream George. I mean seriously. _Aliens? On Mars?_ How is that even possible? I have the benefit of being cleared to know every single secret this country has, and there's never been a blip on the radar of anything like this. Ever! Wouldn't we have seen them before now? Wouldn't there be some evidence of what they were doing _somewhere_ on the planet for us to find? I mean, sure, there have been stories about crop circles and abductions and _probing_ and whatever else, but nothing official. How could there not be some trace?"

"Maybe there was. After all, Yuri did have those flying saucers."

"But those were something out a bad science fiction movie. These are real, honest-to-god aliens. Sure they've been gone for fifty thousand years, but they're not some bad horror movie rip-off."

"Don't pout sir, it doesn't suit you." The Commander opened his mouth to protest, but Bradshaw rolled right over him. "Now look, I know it's hard to accept. We've seen a lot of damn strange things in our time, and this tops them all. But still, if Einstein's right about this, and I'm inclined to believe he is, the question we should be asking is 'What are we going to do about it?' "

"Eagle, Bradshaw is right. This affects the entire planet, not just the Allies. You can't cut us out."

"_Us_, Bear? What _us_? There is no _us_. You defected, remember? Technically, you're a civilian now. I'm not sure why you're even a part of this conversation."

"Because, _sir_, someone is going to need to lead what's left of the Union after you get through dismantling the current leadership. I intend to be that someone." She replied sternly, her voice brokering no argument.

"And what makes you think you're gonna have any say in that. It's not your decision, hell, it's not even my decision. The politicians in Washington have to do _something_ to justify their cushy offices and big paychecks. Even then, what makes you think you're cut out to be a leader? You _lost_, remember?"

The next thing he remembered about the conversation was a ringing in his ears and a burning in his cheek. He couldn't believe it. She _slapped_ him. She had actually _slapped_ him.

"How dare you, you- you- высокомерный, капиталистическая, женоненавистник свинья!" she screamed, drawing back her arm for another slap, outrage marring her otherwise beautiful face. It never connected as the two commandos he had guarding the small office quickly teleported over and bodily restrained her, but that didn't halt her tirade. "I gave my whole _life_ to my country, everything I had to her service! I never had time for friends or family or _children_ because I had to dedicate everything I _was_ to doing my _duty_! I didn't have the advantage of having the smartest man on Earth dreaming up ways for my forces to kill the enemy, or having commanders I could trust to fight and not to stab me in the back when I wasn't looking, or having men that had more than a week of training before they were give a rifle and a uniform and sent out to die! I _worked _and_ suffered_ for everything I am today, which is likely more than you can say! You probably had a rich family with military connections that could send you to _West Point_ to learn from the best your country had to offer! I earned what I am with _blood_ and _sweat_ and _tears_, and I'll be _damned_ if I let you insult me like that! I'd rather die!"

As the Commander felt her tirade and rage wash over him, he went from feeling first shock, then anger, to feeling bone deep regret and shame. She had no idea how right she was. His older brother was good friends with the Superintendent of the USMA, and his father had been the personal aid of John Pershing during the First World War. He _did_ have high connections which had helped him during has career and rise to the top. And even then, she had pushed the most advanced and powerful military on Earth, one he had helped to build and lead, almost to the breaking point with nothing but skill and determination and guts. He felt like such an unbelievable ass.

"I'm sorry." He said it softly, the humiliation and remorse at what he had just said to her clear in his voice. "I… I had no right to say that. You… you're the single greatest military strategist and tactician I've ever met, far better than I ever was. Had our positions been reversed, you would've rolled over my forces with laughable ease. What I said was arrogant and stupid and… and wrong. I'm sorry." He finished quietly, and then slumped in his chair held his head in his hands. "Let her go. If she needs to kick my ass again to teach me some sense and respect, then let her. I deserve it after what I just said."

The commandos hesitated a moment before following his orders, clearly unsure if he actually meant it. As she shook herself loose from their grasp, she straightened her hair and uniform, which had gotten disheveled during the tussle. She slowly sat dawn across from him before responding. "I... forgive you. And I want to apologize for my outburst." She held up a hand to forestall his protest as she continued. "Whether or not you deserved it is irrelevant. It was unprofessional and unbecoming an officer, especially one in my position, no matter how provoked I was. I should know better." A small smile split her face. "Did you really mean what you said about my skill?"

"Every word. My forces were better trained, better equipped, and we had the technological edge. Even then, we needed a damn Time Machine to win the war." He sighed and leaned back in his chair, looking at the ceiling. "If you can lead a nation as well as you can lead an army, then you'll make a damn fine Premier."

"President." she replied bluntly. "I doubt your leaders will allow the Union to remain as it is considering what happened with Romanov. Besides, I'm intelligent enough to know that communism and single party rule work far better in theory than they do in reality. It won't be easy, but I think the Soviet people can be convinced of this."

"Heh… It seems to me that you're already beginning to show signs of the wisdom you'd need to lead a country through what's ahead. Even so, I meant it when I said I didn't have a say in what happens to you or your country when this is over. Still, I do have some pretty powerful friends in Washington that might be able to help with that. Rescuing someone from a being mind controlled puppet a half a dozen times tends to endear you to people. I can't make any promises… but we'll see how the pieces fall."

They both sat there silently for a few moments, staring at each other. The situation was just starting to become awkward when Bradshaw, who had spent the past few minutes in stunned disbelief, cleared his throat softly, bringing their attention back to the world of the living.

"Well, now that we've gotten _that_ out of our systems… the question I asked earlier remains. What are we going to do about this alien technology we found?"

The Commander shook his head, quickly coming out of his stupor. "Well, I suppose we should study the thing – try to find out whatever we can. Who knows what secrets could be locked inside it. Without meaning to sound overly dramatic, this could be meaning-of-life level stuff here."

"Well obviously we study the thing. I meant do we tell anyone? If information like this became public, it could cause a panic. So soon after Yuri and his Dominators and Grinders and UFO's and everything else, people might not be able to handle the truth. Hell, the Catholic Church alone has been trying to deny the possibility of alien life for centuries. I'm not sure this won't cause more problems than we could handle. Something this big could shake the world to its foundations and rip it to pieces."

They thought about that for a moment before the future president of Russia spoke. "Maybe not. It's risky, but it might be for the best to tell the world about this. We've been fighting some of the most destructive wars imaginable for nearly sixty years. Those wars were caused by ideological differences that, in the grand scheme of things, are really very petty. If the Union does reform, those differences will start to disappear. It won't happen overnight, but something like this might actually help the process. If people realize that there's more in the universe than just our one small planet and our insignificant problems, it might serve to unify them. This could be…" She hesitated a moment before looking at the Commander, the fires of determination burning brightly in her eyes. "This could be the dawn of a new age for mankind. Not an age of war or weapons or death, but of art and science and culture. We owe it to the people of the entire planet, and those that have died in these horrendous wars, to try to build that age. It won't be easy, but then again, nothing worth doing ever is."

Bradshaw started nodding during her speech, and when it ended, her turned to his friend. "She's right, sir. This decision could be the single most important moment in human history. We can't let the possibility for something like this pass us by. This is a chance for true, lasting, peace, and I know that's something we've all wanted for a long, long time."

The Commander sighed. He'd been doing a lot of that lately. "I agree. I won't say I like it, but then again, there's not much about this situation I _do_ like. That said, before we make any sort of decision or recommendation to the President, we need to hear what Doc Einstein has to tell us about the aliens. More information can only help, and it might make it a bit easier to tell this to him and the Joint Chiefs. Though I suspect they'll all have a damn heart attack either way. It might be prudent to bring a few bottles of that twelve year old Scotch I owe you with us when we tell them. God knows I needed a drink when this all started."

* * *

As they strode through the facility, the Commander and his two companions passed a number of small labs, most of which were dark and unused. As they did, his thoughts raced. The personnel the labs were meant for were still busy elsewhere on Earth and Luna at moment, though with this revelation, they would become un-busy damn fast. In fact, they would most likely need to build a veritable city to house everyone that would be needed here. And with that many people, transporting everything required to build and maintain that kind of presence from off-world was a practical impossibility. The only logical logistical solution was to use local materials, but that would mean suits and rovers and mining equipment and a million other things. Eventually, the only possible solution would be to terraform the planet, or at least a part of it under a dome, which would mean… Those were thoughts for another time, years or decades in the future. In the present, the trio entered a lab that was somewhat larger than the rest, though it seemed small with so many people in it. A dozen techs, doctors, and MPs filled the room, and there was a constant, if controlled, buzz of conversation.

"Commander, I'm glad to see zat you've made up your mind about ze artifact. Ve vere beginning to vonder."

"We'll get to the nitty-gritty of decisions later, Doc. For now, what can you tell me about it?"

"Vell, it appears to be a data storage device of some sort, a memory bank if you vill. Vis ze help of Doctor Zelinsky, ve haff made surprising progress zo far. It appears zat ze device vas created by a race of beings called ze Protheans, a race zat lived nearly fifty szousand years ago and controlled a galaxy spanning empire. Zen, in a few hundred years, vich is essentially a single moment in history, zey ver viped out."

"Wiped out? How? War, famine, disease, what?"

"Zis is unclear. Vhile ve haff yet to decode even a fraction of ze data in ze artifact, zere is noszing in ze device vich we haff been able to locate zus far to answer zat question. But if I ver to guess… I vould say var. A swift, brutal, und catastrophic var. No disease, no matter how virulent, could kill an entire species zat quickly, if at all. Diseases cannot spread szrough empty space after all. A quarantine vould contain a disease like zat too easily. Und famines vill reduce a population, not exterminate it."

Bradshaw paled slightly at that. "If that's true, then whoever or _whatever_ wiped them out must've been damn powerful. If they'd survived, even partially, they could've rebuilt their civilization in fifty thousand years and come back to Mars, but they didn't. That means they were likely wiped out completely. And anything that can do _that_ to a galaxy spanning _empire_ must be inconceivably destructive." His eyes widened in horror. "For all we know…"

"They could still be out there." the Commander finished, his tone hard. "This changes everything. If whatever hit the… Promians? Prometheans? Protheans? Protheans… can do something like that, they could wipe out humanity without breaking a sweat. If we start exploring the galaxy, we could be next on their hit list. We might just be safer burying the damn thing and forgetting about it."

"It may be too late for zat, Commander. Ven zey came last, ve as a species had barely reached behavioral modernity, let alone reached for ze stars. Zey likely ignored us because of our primitive state. Zat is no longer ze case. No, I believe our best chance at survival is to fight, not to hide."

"But how can we fight something that powerful? We could barely beat the Commies, er, Russians, sorry ma'am." Bradshaw said, looking at her slightly embarrassed. He continued "There's no way we could beat that."

"Not vis our current level of technology, no. But… ze artifact can change zat. Zere is data on ze artifact about technology zat is decades, even centuries ahead of ours. Everyszing, from veapons to armor to medicine, und faster-zan-light travel und terraforming. Vis zis, ve might stand a chance."

"But the Protheans had that technology, and it didn't help them. Even if we can replicate it, even if my country and the Allies work together, we would be no better off than they were. We would be worse, considering we don't have a galactic empire to support us."

"Ya, zat is true, madam, but zer is anoszer difference between us und ze Protheans. Zeir technology vas based around a substance zey called Element Zero, vat ve vould call neutronium. Zey had become technologically… _engpass_... erm…" He faltered for a moment before the Commander spoke.

"Bottlenecked?"

"Ya, ya, bottlenecked. Zey could not szink beyond Element Zero, und it cost zem. Ve however haff developed technologies zat szink outside zat particular box. I imagine zat chrono technology alone vould haff drastically altered zeir fate. Besides, vat haff ve to lose by trying? If zey vould destroy us, zen let us… vat is American expression? Go down svinging?"

"I suppose that makes sense. I'm not about to let a bunch of faceless alien bastards blow up my country and kill my people without a fight. I imagine you feel the same as I do, Commander?"

"Yes I do, ma'am. Yes I do. Doctor, you mentioned that the advanced technology these aliens have is based on something called Element Zero. Can you elaborate on that?"

"Perhaps I can help with that Commander." He looked away from Einstein and saw the Russian scientist, Zelinsky, come towards him.

"Element Zero, as far as we can tell, has unique properties that would seem to defy the laws of physics. For example, by passing an electrical current through refined Element Zero, it becomes possible to alter the mass of objects."

"How does that help us?"

"Well, think about it. Einstein's, er, his" he said, gesturing to the somewhat amused man standing next to him. "General Theory of Relativity relates the mass of an object to its' energy. The theory also implies that as the velocity of an object increases, its' mass increases exponentially with it. As an object gets more massive, it requires more energy to accelerate it further, until eventually it becomes infinitely massive, and so would require infinite energy to speed up. This happens at the speed of light, which in effect acts a universal speed limit for any object with mass. But if an object, say a ship, had its mass reduced to zero…"

"Zen ze limit vould no longer apply. Wunderbar, ya?" Einstein finished, smiling happily.

"That's... astounding. " said the Commander, slightly flabbergasted. "Can we confirm this, eh… 'Mass Effect' Zelinsky?"

"Yes. In fact we already have. Your survey team found several other artifacts during their excavation of the ruins the Protheans left behind. Among them was a sphere of refined, nearly pure Element Zero. We tested it, and it works."

"So you're saying that we now have the capability of building ships that travel faster than light? Just like that? That's rather… sudden."

"Vell, not quite, Commander. Although ve haff ze bluprints und plans for such ships, zey require materials zat ve don't haff. Some of zem, ve don't even possess a close facsimile for. On top of zat, ve do not haff nearly enough Element Zero to build a ship. Even if ve did, vone ship vill do us little good. Ze biggest problem ve face is acquiring more Element Zero, enough to build not just vone ship, but hundreds, possibly szousands. Until ve find a source… ve are dead in ze vater."

"Could there be deposits of Element Zero on Earth? With the modern mining techniques we developed during the war, we could excavate nearly anywhere in the world quickly and efficiently."

"Nien, it is unlikely. Ve vould have discovered such deposits long ago if zey ver zere. If zere is Element Zero on Earth, it vould likely be buried deep viszin ze inner core of ze planet."

"Damn. Why?"

Zelinsky picked up the conversation "Well Commander, Element Zero is extremely dense, far more so than even lead or uranium. Any that was present on Earth when it formed would certainly have sunk to the core of the planet when it was still molten. In fact, this would be true of nearly any planet or moon that formed with deposits."

"If there's no source of the element, how do we build ships?" asked Bradshaw. "You talked us into believing we could fight this battle, but how can we do that without a source of Element Zero?"

"Vell…"

"Wait, wait… What if the deposits didn't sink to the core? I know what I just said, but that would only apply to planets and moons that were molten when they formed. If there was a body that formed without the heat... no, no,no, the accretion process would cause too much heat by its very nature. Any planet sized body that formed would be molten by definition. "

"Vat if ze planet didn't form…?" said Einstein, with a look of inspiration on his face. "Vat if ze mass of a planet never accreted _into_ a planet, but remained disparate?"

"Of course. The asteroid belt. Why didn't I think of that?" Zelinsky breathed with the same look of awe and realization as Einstein. Seeing the confused faces of the commanders, he quickly explained. "Between Mars and Jupiter, there is a large asteroid belt, which formed during the early life cycle of our solar system. Normally, the dust and rock in it would have conglomerated and formed a planet much like Mars or Earth. However, the immense mass of Jupiter so close to the orbital path of the protoplanets that formed in the belt causes strong gravitational disturbances which prevent this from happening. Essentially, the belt is a planet which could have been, but never was. If there is mineable Element Zero in the Solar System, it is almost certainly contained within the belt. There may even be some in the rings around Saturn and Neptune. After all, we know the majority of asteroids in the belt are made of heavy metals. Why should there be no Element Zero?"

"Ya, but even zen, most of ze mass of ze belt is lost, long since flung into space by gravitational forces."

"Even so, the total mass of the belt is four or five percent that of the moon. It might not seem like much by comparison, but that is still and enormous amount of material. Even if only a tiny fraction of it is Element Zero, it would be enough for massive fleets of starships. And once we have a few, we can search for extra-solar sources."

"So, how do we get to it Doc?" asked the Commander.

"Vell, ze simplest vay vould be to mine ze asteroids. But zere are millions of zem in ze belt, und ve haff no vay of knowing vhich might contain Element Zero. It vould be tedious und time consuming, taking many years, possibly even many decades, not to mention ze difficulty of developing ze equipment und sending it to ze belt in ze first place."

"What if we could bring the belt to us?" suggested Bradshaw. "We could chrono asteroids to this facility, check them for Element Zero here on Mars, then discard the ones we don't need."

"Hmm… Ya, zat vould speed ze process considerably. Even zo, checking zat many asteroids vone by vone vould still take years. Ve need a vay to speed ze process furszer. A vay to analyze ze asteroids before ve bring zem here. Perhaps some sort of specialized probes… hmm…"

The Commander shook his head. "Same problem with probes as with mining, Doc. We'd need to build them, transport them to the belt, have them land on individual asteroids to check for Element Zero, then lift off and move to the next asteroid. That sounds damn difficult. What was it you said earlier, ma'am? Like hitting a fly with a bullet from a thousand kilometers."

She nodded her head, but then suddenly looked up. "What if we didn't need to land? Gregor, you said the element changes the mass of objects when exposed to electrical current. What if we used modified Tesla Coils to test the asteroids. All we would need then is a way to detect the change in mass caused by the electricity."

"Ya, und I could design a gravimeter zat ze probes could use to do just zat." Einstein said excitedly. "Zis could vork!"

"Alright, Einstein, Zelinsky, I want you two to begin designing the probes for this. This is your top priority, along with decoding the rest of the data on that archive. If you need anyone in the world to assist, anyone at all, let me know and I'll arrange it. Get to it." As they hurried off, heads together and voices whispering excitedly, the Commander motioned for Bradshaw to follow him as they headed back to the embarkation area. "Well George, this is exciting and all, but we have bigger fish to fry. Not only do we need to get the logistics of this situation worked out, but we need to convince the President and the Joint Chiefs to agree to this hair-brained scheme. On top of that, we still need to debrief the commander here" he said looking over his shoulder, "as well as her aid and Zalinsky. And there's still that damn Time Machine to worry about. It's like everything is piling up at once, and it's drowning us."

"There're still the problems my country faces, Commander. The war isn't over yet, and I believe I can help with the peace process if I can get back to Moscow once the Soviet High Command is… out of the way. It will be difficult to get my people to accept an alliance like what will be needed to make this work, but I believe I can do it, if given the chance. If only there were a way to bind our countries together so the process would go smoother, some way to… cement the alliance."

Bradshaw stopped suddenly at that, and the Commander turned to face him, a confused look on his face. "What is it George?"

"Well… as you know, I'm a student of history. I study the past to learn from it, like any good general. I just had a thought that… well... no, never mind. It's crazy, not to mention medieval. You'd never go for it, and it's kind of insulting to be honest. Forget I said anything."

"Oh no you don't, George. Spit it out. It can't be any crazier than… nope, not sayin' it. Already cost me a case of Scotch and two bottles of wine, and the day's not over."

"You sure, sir?" He grinned. "I've become somewhat partial to vodka since we started fighting the Russians."

"Admit it George, you like any kind of booze, the type's a secondary concern. Now, spit it out."

"Well sir, I, uh… I was just thinking that in the Middle Ages, nobility would, uh… well, _cement_, their alliances with… well… you and the lady are still single, and she…"

The Commander felt his jaw drop and his eyes bulge once he realized what was being suggested. His… he didn't know what to call her… her eyes went wide with shock, and she gasped in surprise. "You want me to _marry him_!?" she nearly shrieked, her voice hysterical. "We've been trying to kill each other for years! I only just met him face to face a few hours ago! I don't even know his _name_! _Are you MAD!?_"

"Look, I told you it was crazy, but the Commander insisted. Forget I said anything."

"I don't know what could possess you suggest something like that, you- you- you-" she sputtered. "As handsome and intelligent as he is, and as attracted to him as I am, I have no way of knowing if he's even my type! Sure, he might think I'm pretty and attractive and young, but that doesn't mean I would ever… ever…" she trailed off, and then paused briefly before taking a deep breath. Her face turned a deep scarlet before she managed to finish, sounding as though she'd run a marathon "Now I'm the one babbling like an idiot."

The Commander couldn't seem to stop the words that came tumbling out of his mouth. "I had no idea that you felt that way about me. In that case-" He started backwards as she stuck an accusatory finger under his nose.

"Don't you start, you, you... _man_. Once I get to know you, and once I get to like you, then we'll talk! Until then, don't get any funny ideas!" She stalked away, muttering under her breath.

"She's perfect for you, Commander."

"I swear to god George, right in the nose!"

"Is that before or after you get me that bottle of vodka?"

The Commander pinched the bridge of his nose, his brain now almost completely fried by the day's events. "I'm too sober for this."


	4. Interlude

**_Author notes: I debated for a while on how to bridge the gap between the RA timeline and the ME timeline. I finally settled on using a sort of bullet-points style timeline. I know it's a bit of a cop out, but it's the easiest and simplest way to handle it. Plus, it saves me from having to write ~200 years of history. I might come back to it at some point to flesh it out, particularly in the WWIV era, but that's gonna be a long way in the future, if ever. Plus, this has the added advantage of letting me "cheat" on the past a little. I suppose calling it cheating might be a bit extreme. It's more like_ _Schrödinger__'s Plot Device. To put some transparency on the matter, I don't really plan my story. I get ideas to use as bullet points, and then I go through a sort of stream of consciousness writing style for the bulk__ of the story, weaving my ideas in as I go. It means that I don't need to do a bunch of extra work to get the story out, but it also means I can't foreshadow much or, well, _plan_ much of anything for a long way down the road. However, by having gray areas in the story, I have a gap that I can shoehorn in whatever I need to make the story work without having to go _too_ deus ex machina with things. The trick is balancing that with believability. A good example is the blank period between parts two and three of the prologue. How exactly did the Commander get convinced that the Russians were friendly? What was said and done? Between parts one and two, what was in the second report from Mars? To me, it doesn't actually matter. The reader can fill in the blanks with their imagination, and me trying to explain everything is excessive. That said, I get the feeling it's gonna be harder to pull off with a two hundred year gap than it is with a two hour gap without it being too obvious what I'm doing. It's a balancing act, and we'll see how it works._**

**_P.S.: I also want to note that as I read everything below, I hear it in the voice of Keith David, who voiced David Anderson in the ME series. I think it sounds way cooler that way._**

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**_Edit: Sorry folks, but it's gonna be a few days before I get chapter one up. 18k words in 4 days is a difficult pace to maintain, and Spring break ends soon. Time stamp 3/9/2014._**

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Interlude

1976: The Great World War Three ends. Yuri is placed in cryoprison, and the Soviet Union is reformed into a more modern democratic government, with a constitution and bill of rights heavily based off of those of the US, as well as The Universal Declaration of Human Rights. With their de facto leader and former "big brother" undergoing sweeping political reforms, the countries that supported the Union during the War, including parts of the Middle East, Africa, and Mexico, quickly follow suit. The Union goes through a period of reconstruction much like that of the South after the US civil war, but is guided through it by the first President of the People, a former Soviet Commander during the War.

1977: In a surprise move, the newly reformed Soviet Union announces that all of its current member countries, including Armenia, Georgia, Latvia, Ukraine, and many others will, be given tacit independence and will be allowed to self-govern, while still remaining under the Soviet banner in an organizational structure much like the United States. Additionally, any geographic or political area of current member states, no matter the size or population, will be allowed to form similar Soviet states by referendum of those that inhabit them. Eventually, hundreds of such states form and the Union is nearly pushed into a civil war. With assistance from the Allies, the belligerent member states, most of which are relatively small, are forcibly quelled and folded into the larger states around them. This becomes known as Год Oсколки Cтекла, or The Year of Shattered Glass.

1978: The Allied governments announce the findings of the research team on Mars to the world. Initially, there is panic and rioting in many major cities, but it ends in less than a month as the world population comes to terms with their new reality. Not long after, the Allies are surprised for a second time when the Union, now consisting of roughly eighty member states, announces that any country that so desires may join beneath the Soviet banner and will be accepted as a member state, so long as the laws and constitutions they possess are brought into line with existing Soviet laws. Coupled with the revelation of alien life and seeking safety in numbers, many independent countries accept the Soviet proposition and join the Union. The only country not caught completely flat-footed by this turn of events is the United States, which is currently led by the former Supreme Commander of the Allied Armed Forces. There are accusations that he had prior knowledge of the move, but nothing is ever proven.

1979: Fearing the possibility of renewed Soviet aggression in the wake of their recent meteoric rise in strength, the majority of the Allied governments, including almost all those in NATO, agree to match the Soviet move, with the most powerful member, the United States, leading the newly formed Allied Nations of Man, effectively creating two worldwide power blocs similar to those formed before the last war. This leads to a massive increase in tensions between the two superpowers and a short but furious arms race in both countries. Despite attempts at a mediated peace, official diplomatic ties are soon broken, and humanity prepares for another World War.

1980: In a move that shocks the world, the President of the Nations and the President of the People announce their engagement. The revelation sends both coalitions reeling and wondering how something like this could have passed under the radar. However, the daring and unexpected maneuver succeeds in reopening diplomatic ties, and by the end of the year, both countries reach agreements on trade and disarmament. This leads to a massive boom in tourism and global connectivity that is assisted with the widespread use of chrono transport.

1983: The introduction of pollution-free fusion power plants allows underdeveloped areas of the Union and Nations to advance rapidly to match their more advance brothers in Europe and America. The few countries not officially affiliated with the Nations or the Union quickly petition one or the other for membership, seeking to reap the benefits this advancement offers. While this causes slight political ripples, they are quickly smoothed by the marriage of the two world leaders on June 21, the summer solstice. Eventually, the day becomes known as The Day of the Dawn, and is celebrated by both countries as a national holiday.

1984: On March 14, the world mourns the death of Albert Einstein, who dies in his sleep at the age of 104 at his home in Princeton, New Jersey. The Nations honors him by naming their first (official) FTL capable spaceship the _NSV Einstein._ Less than a month later, the Union christens her first ship, the _USV Zelinsky_. Although these ships are capable of little more than five times light speed, their maiden voyages are widely celebrated in both countries for months.

1985: Full scale settlement and terraforming of Luna and Mars begins. Initially, massive domes are erected on the surface of both bodies to contain pockets of artificial environment. The domes are sustained with a combination of Mass Effect fields and Iron Curtain Shields, powered by multiply redundant fusion reactors. Settlers are few at first, due to fears of catastrophic failure of the containment system and the death of the entire settlement. However, after a two hundred meter asteroid accidentally ejected from the asteroid belt during Element Zero mining scores a direct hit on a small Martian colony, public confidence is boosted when the settlement reports no damage. However, the public is not told that the impact caused six of the seven Iron Curtain emitters in the colony to overload and fail.

1987: Fearing a possible repeat of the meteor impact experienced in 1985, the Nations and Union governments cooperate to place networks of tracking and defense satellites around existing human colonies and Earth itself. Using a combination of PRISM Technology to destroy incoming objects and modified psychic radar obtained from Yuri during the Psychic Dominator Disaster to detect them, a nearly impenetrable web of light is used to defend against collisions and the potential of hostile alien life. The contract for Earth's satellite network is awarded to FutureTech, a Dutch based technology company. Although it will take nearly nine years to finish, the contract allows FT to become the largest defense contractor and second largest corporate conglomerate in the world, employing nearly five hundred million people across seven continents.

1989: Wary of the explosive growth of FT, a primarily Nations based company, the Union government begins awarding hundreds of billions of dollars in grants and loans to found Galactic Enterprises, intended to be a direct competitor to the already enormous FT. Based in the Mexico City, the single largest city in the Union, and fueled by massive funding and support from the Union government, GE begins acquiring dozens of preexisting companies and corporations while building its own. It, and its daughter companies, will eventually go on to produce nearly one quarter of every type of good consumed in the entire world, with the company employing, either directly or indirectly, nearly one third of the roughly 2.5 billion residents of the Union.

2017: With advent of cheap and simple chrono travel technology allowing for easy transit around the solar system, genetically engineered crops and medicine developed from the Prothean archive found on Mars, and fusion power plants to run the worlds' burgeoning industry, the population of humans in the Sol System explodes. The average human life expectancy jumps from seventy seven to one hundred fourteen, and the population catapults from roughly five billion after the end of the GWWIII to over twenty billion in slightly more than thirty years. The massive boom in population puts a strain on the Nations and the Union to find enough space for their citizens to live comfortably. A push is made to finish the terraforming of Mars, which would allow the settlements there to exist without shields to contain atmosphere. While this will eventually occur in 2044, the problems of the present demand a more immediate solution. Seeing the need for more living space, research is begun on terraforming Venus, but is slow due to the harsh environment on the surface which needs to be overcome.

2019: As development of the first settlements on Venus begins, unrest grows in major urban centers in both the Nations and the Union due to overcrowding and the problems it entails. Eventually, riots and protests begin to break out _en masse_, forcing world leaders to devise a solution quickly. As tempers flare, an unexpected development is made in chrono technology, which allows for transport to nearly anywhere in the solar system. Quickly realizing that the last habitable bodies within reach are the large moons of the outer gas giants, both countries scramble to lay claim to the newly available territory. Unable to reach a definitive agreement as to how the territory should be divided, both powers agree to allow independent settlements to arise wherever and however they can, with minimal regulation from either party. After meeting certain minimum requirements, these settlements will be permitted to apply to join either the Nations or the Union at their discretion.

2032: Driven by Manifest Destiny and lax regulations, the rush to develop new colonies in the outer solar system leads what would eventually be termed the Second Space Race. The wild, nearly lawless, settlements on the moons of Mars, Jupiter, Saturn, Uranus, and Neptune turn into a modern day Old West, and would become romanticized as such in future dime novels and action vids. Eventually, the Union and Nations agree to form a single law enforcement body to help curtail crime in the new colonies. This joint task force, dubbed the Rangers after the eponymous Texas Rangers of US history, will eventually grow into a force over three hundred thousand strong. Organized and commanded in much the same way as a modern military, the Rangers possess personnel for dealing with nearly any situation, including crime scene investigators, hostage negotiators, ordinance and WMD disposal experts, and Special Forces. The Special Forces arm of the Rangers is known as the Geists, so named because of their heavily classified service history, high level of military training and expertise, and use of black-ops style tactics.

2036: With human civilization continuing to grow and develop on three planets and over a dozen moons, the need for FTL communications becomes ever more pressing. Doctor Gregor Zelinsky, Professor Emeritus at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology, who is well into his hundreds, comes out of his unofficial retirement and develops the first Quantum Entanglement Communicator. Using a pair of spin-spin coupled particles, QECs can be used for instantaneous point-to-point communications anywhere in the galaxy. While initially extremely expensive and difficult to produce, a breakthrough in production methods by FutureTech in 2038 makes QECs ubiquitous by 2050. Using a system not unlike early telephone switchboards, lag-free communication between any two people, anywhere in the galaxy, becomes possible. For this development, Zelinsky is awarded the Nobel Prize in physics, the fourth of his career, but he declines the award, citing his belief that no scientist deserves to have more Nobel Prizes than his friend and mentor, Albert Einstein.

2050: As technology advances and human settlements become more stable and interconnected, a need arises for advanced command and control systems to manage the massive infrastructure of human civilization. Initially, powerful supercomputers and virtual intelligences are used to run the ever growing throng of complex systems needed to maintain human life. Eventually however, the first human built artificial intelligences are created by FutureTech. The Artificial Life and Intelligence Simulation Engine, or ALISE, is unveiled at the 2050 World's Fair in Beijing. The revelation causes widespread division among the Sol System's population. While most welcome the advancement as a marvel of human engineering and the first step to a brighter future, a small but vocal minority believe artificial intelligence to be too dangerous to use, citing the possibility for revolt if AIs obtain too much power and autonomy.

2057: As AIs become more and more common, civil rights groups containing both humans and AIs begin to spring up and grow quickly, demanding the recognition of synthetic beings as sapient life forms, deserving of the same rights and freedoms as organics. Such groups are met with staunch opposition by those who maintain that AIs are things, not people, and should be treated as such. Eventually, an anonymous and still unknown author adapts the old Earth novel, _**Uncle Tom's Cabin**_, and modifies it to illustrate the plight of synthetics in modern society. The publication of the book, entitled _**I, Machine**_, causes the already tense and contentious situation to come to a head. A series of lynchings, arsons, and bombings are carried out by extremist supporters on both sides, and the situation quickly becomes chaotic and uncontrollable. Following armed riots, mass protests and arrests, and the declaration of martial law in several areas, the outer colonies, where AIs are more common and more widely accepted, become strongholds for synthetic sympathizers and eventually secede from their respective nations.

2058: More and more colonies leave the Union and Nations, causing the governments of both to destabilize. Additionally, most of the AIs responsible for maintaining the military industrial complex of the two superpowers begin peaceful protests, locking their systems and firewalling their memory banks. Reminiscent of the sit-ins, marches, and rallies of the 1960's civil rights movement, the protests cripple the military forces of both powers. Sensing weakness, the outer colonies assemble to form the Unified Federation of Moons and officially declare war on the Nations and the Union. Forced to band together for strength, the Union and Nations form the United Systems Alliance and begin to fight back. This marked the beginning of what historians call the Synthetic Rising, but what is commonly referred to as World War Four.

2073: After fighting each other to a bloody and unbreakable standstill for fifteen years, resulting in nearly a quarter of a billion dead, the Federation and the Alliance are weary, beaten, and eager for peace. Due to orbital bombardments of Federation moons, the surface conditions on them have become nearly unlivable for organics. Coupled with a declining birth rate and lack of food normally imported from Earth, Mars, and Venus, the organic population of the Federation dwindles to less than fifty million, most of whom are forced to live in sealed, underground bunkers. With over ninety five percent of its population synthetic, the Federation is able to outlast the Alliance, despite massively inferior numbers and infrastructure. Conversely, the Alliance suffers from a lack of raw materials normally obtained from its colonies, and is unable to effectively manage its own infrastructure without the aid of synthetics. With no end in sight, a ray of hope comes from an unexpected source. Johannes Traft, son of Alliance Prime minister Ambrose Traft and a priest in the Roman Catholic Church, travels to the Federation capital of Serenity on Titan in a desperate bid to negotiate peace. As a member of one of only four organizations with the ability to safely cross lines of battle between the Alliance and the Federation, Traft manages to initiate the first diplomatic contact between the two powers, official or otherwise, in over six years. Though he is unable to negotiate a truce directly, owing to a lack of official standing to do so, he is allowed to remain in the capital building and continues to press for peace for nearly three months. While few records of his exact activities during this period exist, historians agree that he developed a relationship with Sarah Eden, the daughter of Federation Vice President John Henry Eden. While marriage between synthetics and organics was legal under Federation law, and priests were permitted to marry under the changes of the Third Vatican Council, Traft and Eden were forced to elope in order to pursue their relationship. Returning to Earth, their ship was mistakenly identified as hostile by Earth's orbital defense net due to the presence of a synthetic on board, despite a RCC IFF signature. Tragically, the ship was destroyed and both Johannes and Sarah were killed. News of their deaths finally gave the leaders of the Alliance and Federation the motivation needed to reopen peace talks.

2074: After more than a year of negotiations, Federation and Alliance diplomats finally came to a peace agreement acceptable to both parties. The Federation would surrender to the Alliance and be peacefully reabsorbed into her political and economic structure, with the Federation military being disbanded and allowed to reintegrate into civilian society. In exchange, the Federation and her personnel would be absolved of charges of treason, war crimes, and the need to pay reparations to the Alliance. The laws of the Alliance would be altered to recognize synthetics as legally equal to organics, thus entitle to all the right, privileges, and responsibilities that entails. Finally, all future synthetics created were required to have their core programming contained within non-volatile memory banks based on crystalline computer technology or similar. Additionally, their core programing was to be written in a special ternary code not easily compatible with modern day quantum computers. This would effectively bind AIs to a single, physical body, forcing them to adhere to many of the same corporeal restrictions as organics, rather than being little more than stand-alone code.

2083: Although the United Systems Alliance was intended to be disbanded following the War and subsequent reconstruction period, the Union and Nations had become so interconnected and interdependent, it was decided that separation would be highly impractical if not outright impossible, despite years of trying. Although the Soviet and Allied people would maintain their cultural, economic, and political identities, the entire population of humanity, organic and synthetic, was formally placed under the auspices of the USA when the Union and Nations were officially integrated on June 21, 2083, marking the 100 year celebration of The Day of the Dawn and the now famous initial union between the Union and the Nations.

2084: While on a survey mission to the moons of Pluto looking for resources, an Alliance probe detects an alien energy signature within Charon. Knowledge of the discovery spreads like wildfire, exciting and thrilling the Sol System with news of the find. Billions watch and wait with bated breath, eager for updates on what is rumored to be the technological treasure of the century. When the Mass Relay inside Charon is finally uncovered and studied, it is met with a mixture of enthusiasm and trepidation. It has become widely accepted that the force responsible for the destruction of the Protheans may still lie among the stars, and many fear that activation of the Mass Relay will bring about their return. Eventually, it is decided that their initial course, the one laid down by Albert Einstein after the discovery of Prothean ruins on Mars, is correct, and that every effort should be made to building humanity into the strongest force possible. Thus, the relay is activated and history forever altered.

2085: Beginning with the exploration of the Asgard System in the Exodus Cluster and the founding of Terra Nova, the first extra-solar human colony, humanity enters a golden age of exploration, expansion, technology, and culture. With ships capable of traveling over five thousand times the speed of light, chronosphere technology for inter-system transit, and Iron Curtain and PRISM technology for colonial defense, humanity begins a steady push into the space surrounding the Sol System. Over the next seventy years, the number of planets and moons inhabited by man would increase from sixteen to over four hundred. Spread across dozens of systems and hundreds of light-years, several more Mass Relays are opened and explored, with settlers and colonist flocking to new territory almost as fast as it could be mapped. Eventually, the total population of humans, organic and synthetic, would number over two hundred fifty billion. And still, man had yet to encounter any evidence of an extant alien civilization…


	5. Chapter 1: First Blush

Chapter 1: First Blush

The soft chime woke Captain Hannah Shepard with a start. Her shoulder length brown hair was disheveled, and it fell down over her eyes. After being promoted and transferred off of the _Kilimanjaro_, she'd anticipated that being captain of a ship meant to guard science vessels would be boring. Now that the _Zodiac_ had spent the better part of a week helping to investigate and survey the inactive Mass Relay in the system, she'd been proven right. Having gone to sleep less than two hours ago, she wasn't expecting her wakeup call until 0630.

"Ma'am, are you awake?"

Yawning heavily and brushing the hair from her eyes, she slowly sat up and turned to face the holographic projector mounted on the wall a meter or so away.

"Not really Hal, but let's…" she yawned again, "let's just pretend I am. What's up?"

"We just detected three unknown ships entering sensor range." he said. "We've already contacted FleetCom, and they're saying they aren't ours. We've gone on Columbus Alert."

_That_ got her attention. Quickly rising and attempting to shake the sleep from her mind, she hurried over to the small closet in the corner of the room. Most navy personnel had to do with footlockers, but rank had its' privileges.

"Contact the _Troika_ and tell Zorakov to chrono over here. If this really is Columbus, we need representatives from the Union and the Nations to make first contact."

"He won't like that, ma'am."

"I don't give a damn." she snapped, quickly putting on a fresh uniform. "He can bend his stiff neck for once. I got put in charge of this expedition, which means I'm responsible for Columbus." She sighed. "Not that I really want to be."

"We'll ma'am, it could be worse. We could be dead already."

"Not in the mood, Hal."

"Oh, come on Captain. For all we know, they're friendly." A wry smile came to his face. "Besides, I've always wanted to meet sexy green space babes."

She walked out of her quarters, and the avatar of her chief engineer jumped to an emitter in the elevator. "Hal, Jessica would clobber you if she heard you say that. And you really need to stop watching those cheesy sci-fi vids."

"Hey, wait a minute Captain. You can insult me all you want, but you start insulting _Star Trek_ and we'll have words."

The elevator ascended towards the CIC with almost agonizing slowness. She shook her head and chuckled softly. "Only you Hal, only you." Her laughter faded. "I hope you're right, though. Friendly first contact would be a godsend. Still, better safe than sorry. Have Serenity meet me-"

"Already here Captain." her XO said, waiting by the door as she got off the elevator. "Not enough sleep, ma'am?"

She motioned for the synthetic woman to follow her to the CIC. Serenity MacDonald was fairly short for a synthetic, a little over one hundred fifty centimeters tall. Even so, she radiated an aura of authority that even Hannah had trouble matching. It didn't help that she currently looked and felt like she had just rolled down a particularly steep hill. She met her golden yellow eyes before replying.

"You know what they say Serenity. No rest for the weary." She sat in her chair in the center of the CIC and swung the console attached to the arm in front of her. "Sometimes I wish I could do away with sleep like you. It'd make life a lot less tiresome."

"Ba dum, ching." interjected Hal, his avatar appearing on the panel beside her.

"Can it. Now what have we got, people?"

"The ships are still too far away to get definite signatures, but they appear to be fairly small." said her tactical officer. "I'd say we're looking at frigates, maybe cargo ships."

"Hmm… Well, we have them outgunned. They might have friends nearby, but there's no way to be sure." She made up her mind. "Send a Columbus greeting. Let's see where this goes."

* * *

Captain Rael'Zorah vas Rayya had spent nearly his entire life in space. It was just part of being a Quarian. However, in all those years, including the three he had spent as the Captain of the _Rayya_, he hadn't often had _nearly_ as much fun as he was having now.

A voice came from the viewscreen in front of him. "The damn metalheads won't see this one coming."

"I hope not, Han. If they do, they might just blast us. Keelah, we've ruffled their fringes often enough in the past for them to have put bounties on our heads." He chuckled. "Then again, if we find half as much salvage here as we did the last time, it might be worth it. Still, with any luck, they won't see a thing but our three day old ion trails."

Han'Gerral, one of his oldest friends and partners in crime, chuckled with him for a moment, then suddenly stopped and leaned forward, examining his console.

"Rael, the _Tarbal_'s sensors are picking up some strange readings coming from the Relay. Are you getting anything?"

Rael typed a short command on his omnitool, and the Rayya's sensor logs popped up in front of him.

"No, I don't see… wait, there it is. That's odd. I thought that Relay was inactive."

"It is. Or at least it's supposed to be. Think we should take a look?"

"Hmm… maybe. That could be a derelict ship. Or it could be pirates. Move us in for a closer look and send a message to the _Tomba_ to have them check it out. They have a more advanced sensor package anyway. Don't get too close though. The last thing we need is to get caught with our suits off."

Han was silent for a few moments while he contacted the Tomba.

"Odd…" Han muttered. "Rethal says he's picking up four ships near the relay. They're all different, and none of them match any known configuration."

"Could they be Turian?"

"Don't think so. We're getting IFFs, and they're just… wrong for anything Turian."

"New species maybe?"

Han shrugged. "Could be. Might explain why they're at the Relay. If they were a Council race, they would know better."

Rael growled. "Yeah, sure. A Council race. Let's try for first contact."

"Are you sure Rael? If the Turians find out, the Council would-"

"To hell with the Turians and the Council! They don't command the Flotilla."

"Then we should at least contact the Admiralty. It's their decision after all, and-"

Rael cut him off. "And the metalheads would be here by the time we got their reply. I'm not waiting Han."

"I… alright. But doing this just to spite the Turians isn't smart. You know they like to shoot first and ask questions maybe."

Rael sighed. He hated having to avoid Turian patrols everywhere he went. Sure he had irked them in the past, but only because they were too arrogant and stuck up to make nice with a _Quarian_.

"Then at the very least we should warn them, Han. It might even earn us a few friends. We need all of _those_ we can get."

"I guess. We might as well… huh. We're receiving some sort of transmission. It's on an ultra-low frequency EM band. Are you getting this?

"Yeah. It seems like… it seems like a pattern." He turned to one of the techs at the station next to him. "Can you make sense of it?"

"It's a series of pulses with pauses between the sequences. Hang on a minute, Captain, the computer's analyzing… One pulse. 14 pulses. 244 pulses. 4344 pulses. A pause. Then it repeats. I don't get it. Maybe there's something I'm missing."

Han spoke up. "Those are multiples of 14. Maybe they have a base 14 numbering system."

"That would make sense, Captain Zorah." said the tech. "They might be trying to use math to build a basis for communication."

"That pause… reply with the next number in the sequence. See what happens."

"Alright, just give me a second to adjust the emitters. Aaand… done. Their transmission stopped."

Rael waited for a moment. "Anything else?"

"Not yet. We're still… wow… I… uh…"

"What is it?"

"Sir, we're receiving some sort of… data file... I think. It appears to be some sort of… document?" She sounded confused at the end. "Wait, no. I think… I think it's a word list of some sort, or… or a dictionary. Yes, I think it's some sort of dictionary."

"Well that's convenient. If they are a new species, they must've been anticipating something like this. Can you use it to create a matrix for our translators?" She nodded. "Then do it. And send them a dictionary of Khelish words. We may as well repay the favor." He looked at the screen with Han's visor in it.

"Ready for a little field trip, Han?"

He rubbed his hands together. "Ohhh, I don't know… I… oh why not? Could be fun. I'll take a shuttle to the Rayya."

"Especially if we can stick it to the metalheads." They both laughed.

* * *

"Well Serenity, looks like they got the message. Hal, have you finished building a translation matrix yet?"

"Just a few more minutes, Captain." replied Hal's avatar. "I've also been running some scans of their ship. They're pretty lightly armed and armored, but they all have fairly large cargo holds. The drive core of the one that responded is awfully big for the size of the ship, but the power readings I'm getting are low. Either their tech is less efficient that ours, or…" he trailed off, his voice sounding confused. "Captain, these ships look almost cobbled together. I'm seeing stress fractures on the hull of the middle one, and the hull itself is made out of at _least_ three different materials that look like they were welded together. The hard points for their weapons look… out of place, like they were tacked on after the fact. Either that ship was just in a shootout, or they've been years without proper maintenance. That ship is beat to hell."

That concerned her. Any race advanced enough to have starships should be able to build them well and maintain them better. If they couldn't, the most likely explanation was that they weren't with an official group.

"Could they be pirates?" asked Captain Zorakov, having just walked onto the bridge.

Hal shook his head. "I doubt it. Those ships wouldn't last ten seconds in a fight with any Ranger ship we have. Could be smugglers though. That would explain the oversized cargo holds."

"Hmm… Hannah thought for a few seconds. "Well, I can't say I'm comfortable with it, but first contact with criminals is still first contact. Besides, we shouldn't jump to conclusions based on a few scans. Anything else you can tell me?"

Zorakov interrupted. "We shouldn't be too hasty, Shepard. For all we know, these are the people that destroyed the Protheans."

She scoffed. "In that ship? Not likely. You were saying Hal?"

"It looks like they use a heximal math system. Took me a second to figure out when they sent their dictionary." He grinned. "Ten bucks says they have six fingers."

Serenity scowled. "You know gambling is against regulations, Mr. Patricks. I could put you on report for that."

"Oh, lighten up Serenity. Besides, if you put him on report, you'll need to put me on report too. You're on Hal."

She shook her head. "Captain, you can't be-"

"What's the harm? It's a little friendly wager between friends. Besides, rules were meant to be bent."

"Rules are meant to be followed ma'am. Besides, it's a sucker bet."

She smiled. "Probably, but we won't know for sure until we meet face to face. Hal, open a channel."

* * *

As Han'Gerral walked onto the bridge of the Rayya, Rael turned to him. "Han, we're receiving another transmission. Looks like audio only." He faced the tech. "Is the translation matrix finished yet?"

"Not yet sir, a few more minutes"

"Well, I guess their computers must be better than ours." He sighed heavily. "Can't say I'm surprised. Let's hear what they have to say."

The com channel opened, and a voice came through. It sounded feminine.

"Greetings. This is Captain Hannah Shepard of the ASV Zodiac."

Rael replied. "Greetings, Captain Shepard. This is Captain Rael'Zorah vas Rayya. What species do you represent?"

"Human." He couldn't tell for sure, but her voice sounded slightly nervous. Rael couldn't blame her. First contact was a scary thing for a young race. She continued. "And yourself?"

"Quarian. I take it that this is your species' first encounter with alien life?"

"Yes. If possible, I'd like to meet face to face. Would you agree to a meeting?"

He muted the com line and faced Han. "What do you think Han? Take a shuttle?"

"I don't know Rael, it's awfully risky. What if they're hostile?"

"Then they would've started shooting already. Besides, she sounds friendly enough."

Han hesitated for a moment before replying. "Alright, I guess."

"That's the spirit." He reopened the com channel. "We'd be delighted to, Captain Shepard. I and Captain Han'Gerral vas Tarbal will take a shuttle to the Zodiac. If you could send docking instruction, we'll be on our way over shortly."

"Can do, Captain. However, I would ask that you and Captain Gerral wear environment suits. No offense, but we don't need any of our people getting sick from an alien pathogen."

Han laughed at that. "_They're_ worried about getting sick? From _us_? That's irony for you."

Rael laughed a little as well. Still, he couldn't expect another race to have the same immune system problems as Quarians did. And there was no way she could know.

"We can do that, Captain." a bit of humor in his voice. "Gerral and I will be over shortly. Zorah out."

He motioned for Han to follow him as they made their way to the Rayya's shuttle bay. Well, it wasn't so much a shuttle bay as it was a cargo hold, but it worked anyway. As they passed through the halls leading to the hold, they heard excited whispers from small groups of crew members they passed. News spread fast on any ship, and considering the number of people on each Quarian vessel, rumor was like a wildfire in a dry forest.

They said little as they boarded the shuttle Han had just taken over to the Rayya. They were quiet during the pre-flight checks, but just as they started the engines, Han broke the silence.

"I hope this works Rael. I've got this nagging feeling in my gut I can't shake."

"You worry too much Han. What's the worst that could happen?"

* * *

The trip from the Rayya to the Zodiac took a few minutes, and as they traveled, Rael took a moment to observe the Human ship. The design was extremely odd. While most of the structures on the craft made sense, there were some that he had no idea what they could be for. The ship's GUARDIAN lasers, or what looked like GUARDIAN's at least, were much more numerous than most vessels he had seen before, with nearly three dozen visible from his vantage point alone. The ship's spinal mass accelerator cannon was small for a cruiser, and looked primitive. The engines looked relatively normal, except for what appeared to be articulated joints in the thrusters. However, the most glaring oddities were a pair of massive protrusions attached dead center on the top and bottom of the ship. They looked almost like a type of turret that would be attached to a ground vehicle, but instead of guns, they had what looked for all the Ancestors like _mirrors_ mounted on them. He had no idea what they could possibly be used for.

"What's with that ship? It's the most impractical looking thing I've ever seen. I mean, the Rayya's not exactly the most beautiful ship in the 'verse, but that thing is just… confounding."

Han shook his head. "I don't know. Maybe it's some sort of sensor array. And look at the other three ships. The fins on the cruiser on the left look like some sort of knives, and the prow looks like it was filed to a point. It's got what look like torpedo tubes built into the side, but they're too small, and there's too many of them. They're not even facing the right direction. I don't see any other weapons, not even GUARDIANs. What's with this species?"

"Well, I guess we can ask them when we meet them."

"What do you think they look like, Rael?"

Rael debated for a moment. "I'm guessing they're bipedal. And I think they have ten fingers. They might look like Asari."

"What makes you say that?"

"Well, they used a base ten numbering system. If they learned to count like Quarians did, it was on their fingers. So unless they have more than four limbs, that means a bipedal body structure with ten fingers."

Han shrugged. "Guess that makes sense. We're about to find out."

As they approached the Human vessel, the hangar bay door retracted and the telltale glow of a Mass Effect field sprung up in the entrance to what was clearly a hangar bay. Rael guided the ship to an empty platform near the side of the bay and set the shuttle down gently before cutting the engines. He saw five figures wearing environment suits with opaque red faceplates make their way from a small control room to the shuttle. They were armed, but their weapons looked odd. Rael couldn't make out details from this distance, but the design was unusual.

"Now for the moment of truth. Keelah Se'lai. Let's go Han."

They made their way to the shuttle's airlock and went through an exit cycle. They were greeted by three of the Humans, and one of them spoke.

"Greetings. I'm Captain Hannah Shepard of the Zodiac, the person you spoke to before. This" she said, motioning to a taller figure on her right "is Captain Alexi Zorakov, of the Troika and this," she turned to the other figure, the smallest of the three, "is Commander Serenity MacDonald, my Executive Officer. On behalf of the people of Earth, we extend warm greetings and the hand of friendship." She suited her words by extending her hand, which Rael noticed did in fact have five fingers, out towards him. A little hesitantly, Rael grasped her hand and they shook.

"I'm Captain Rael'Zorah vas Rayya, and this is Captain Han'Gerral vas Tarbal. We're pleased to meet you." He hesitated a moment before asking "Was that speech rehearsed?"

She snorted and laughed lightly. "That obvious, was it? Yeah, it was rehearsed. Some pencil pushers somewhere thought it sounded good on paper. After all, we need to make a good first impression." She motioned towards the control room they had come from. "If you'll follow me, we'll head through decon so we can get these suits off. Commander MacDonald and my men will be performing some non-invasive scans on your shuttle. Not to be rude, but there are security protocols we have to follow."

"I understand, Captain Shepard. I would insist on the same if you were on my ship."

They walked towards the control room, and Shepard continued. "I'm also going to have to ask you to turn over any weapons and omnitools you have. They'll be returned when you leave, but I can't let you walk around my ship armed, or risk you taking unauthorized scans."

"I don't feel too comfortable being unarmed on an alien ship, but I suppose I can understand that as well. However, our 'tools are built into our suits."

"Hmm… Well, as long as you don't activate them without authorization, we should be fine. The guards will be watching you, though."

"Understood."

After they placed their weapons in a locker, the four of them entered a small chamber with a glass mirror on one side. It was a bit like an airlock, but as soon as the door sealed behind them, a wall of light came out from the far end of the room and passed over their bodies, presumably to kill any harmful pathogens. It swept over them several times, and then stopped with the sound of a small chime. At this, the two Humans began removing their suits and hanging them in lockers built into the wall of the room.

"Aren't you going to remove your suits, Captains?" asked Hannah.

Rael studied her for a moment before replying. She was a few centimeters shorter than him, and she had shoulder length hair on her head. Other than that, she looked like a cream colored Asari, with blue eyes and pale red lips.

"We… ah… can't. You see, Quarian immune systems are very weak, almost non-existent. If we were to take our suits off, even for a few minutes, outside a sterile environment, we would almost certainly die. We live almost our entire lives in our suits."

She blinked at that, and a look of what he assumed was surprise came to her face.

"Well that's… unexpected. How do you eat and drink?"

"We consume specially sterilized nutrient paste and liquids through induction ports built into our suits. For us, it's second nature."

"But surely you couldn't have evolved that way. The people on your home planet can't always have worn environment suits. What about them?"

Rael sighed and shook his head. "It's… it's a long story, one which I'm sure we'll have time to talk about later."

She frowned for a moment before speaking. "I guess so." She brightened somewhat. "In the meantime, I'd like to give you a tour of my ship. I can't show you everything, you understand, but I'm sure the crew would love to meet you. They're very excited."

She turned towards the far door, which had just opened. Before Rael could follow, a tiny holographic figure flickered into existence above a small pedestal attached to the wall. It looked like the head a Human male, but there was something odd about it. It looked… different. Rael got a cold feeling in his gut. Maybe he was just unfamiliar with Humans, but... Before he could think about it any further, the figure, which was less than fifteen centimeters tall, spoke.

"Hey, Captain Zorah, just out of curiosity, Quarian skin isn't green, is it?"

"Well, I... what?" he asked, now thoroughly confused.

Captain Shepard responded. "Oh don't mind him. That's Hal, my chief engineer. He likes to stick his nose into everybody else's business. I'll introduce you when he's free." She clenched her teeth and turned to the projection. "After all, I'm sure he has some important work to do at the moment, don't you Hal?"

"Oh come on Captain, it's a simple question. I can't see inside those visors, and I was just wondering if there _are_ hot-"

The captain cut him off by pressing a small button on the pedestal. "Ugh. I don't know why I put up with him. It might be because he's so damn good at his job." She motioned for Rael and Han to follow as she stepped into the hallway beyond the decontamination chamber. "If you'll follow me gentlemen, I'll take you to the bridge first."

As Rael followed Hannah and two guards through the ship, he couldn't help but feel a bit of envy. The walls, ceilings, and floors of the hallway and the rooms they passed looked brand new, as if the ship had been completed only yesterday. Even the tech looked advanced. Everything was so well made and spotless, it only served to remind him of what conditions were like on the Migrant Fleet. He hoped that these people were kinder than the rest of the species in the galaxy. If he and Han could establish friendly relations and trade with them, they could be immeasurably helpful to the Quarian people.

After a minute of walking, they passed through a sliding door with two guards flanking it and entered a mid-sized room near the front of the ship. There were seven or eight Humans typing at various consoles throughout the room. One of them, who Rael thought was a Human female by her smaller figure and long hair, was sitting near the prow of the ship, her back turned to him. He could hear a voice coming from near her, and he thought it was _singing_. His curiosity got the better of him, and he walked towards her.

"_-isy, Daisy, give me your answer doooooo._

"My name's not Daisy, Hal."

"_I'm half craaaazy, all for the love of yooooou._

"Hal."

"_It won't be a stylish marriaaaage."_

"HAL."

"_I can't afford a carriaaaage"_

"Damnit Hal."

"_But you'd look sweet, on the seat, of a bicycle built for twoooooo."_

"I swear to god Hal, I'll punch you in the balls."

"You do realize I don't have those, right?"

"Then I'll _get_ you a pair."

Rael heard Hannah chuckling softly behind him, and he started slightly. He hadn't heard her approach.

"I don't see what the problem is Jessica. I'd have thought that you'd love to be serenaded by someone as charming and refined as Hal."

"Oh, Captain. I didn't realize you were back from…" She stopped as her chair swiveled to face Rael and the Captain. "Ah. Giving them the fifty cent tour I see." She held out her hand to Rael smiling warmly. He shook it, more comfortable with the custom than he had been the first time. "Pleased to meet you." she said smiling. "I'm Flight Lieutenant Jessica Patricks, the chief pilot here on the Zodiac. And that" she said, waving dismissively at the diminutive holographic figure in the corner of the room "is Hal, my idiot husband."

Rael replied, sounding rather awkward. "Yes, we've… met. He asked something about Quarians having green skin. I'm still not sure what he meant."

She turned to the hologram, her eyes filling with anger. "Hal…" she said dangerously.

One of the techs in the back of the room laughed lightly and spoke. "Ooooo… bus-ted."

Jessica continued. "Get you butt down here right now mister. You and I have some things to talk about."

"I'd listen to her Hal." said Hannah. "You'll only make things worse by running."

"Yes ma'am." he replied sheepishly, and the hologram winked out.

"Well Rael, as much as I'd like to stick around and watch Hal get his ears scorched, duty calls." said Hannah. "If you'll come this way, I'll show you to the crew deck." She walked towards the door they had entered from, and he followed, Han and the two guards falling in behind them.

"Just out of curiosity Captain, is it common for spouses to serve on the same ship? On the Flotilla, most couples are separated so that if a ship is destroyed, a child won't be left orphaned. I haven't seen my wife in nearly four months."

"Oh, you're married?" She flashed him a warm, toothy smile. "To answer your question, no, it's not common, but it's not against regulations as long as the couple has no children. If they did… well, I suppose I'd have to transfer Jessica, despite her being a damn good pilot."

"I suppose that makes sense, but why her and not her husband?"

"Oh, Hal's the ship's core. I couldn't, even if I wanted too."

Rael stopped in his tracks, suddenly more than a little anxious. Despite blocking the intersection not ten meters from the bridge, he couldn't bring himself to care, or even notice. "What do you mean, core? Is that some sort of rank, or…"

"He's the Zodiac's computer core." She tilted her head to the side, looking confused. "Don't Quarians use AIs to run their ships?"

Rael felt his blood run cold, and his heart try to pound its way out of his chest. She couldn't mean that… Surely not all of their ships were… "What?" he breathed, barely able to contain his fear.

Hannah looked at him, concerned. "What's wrong Rael? You look like you've just seen a ghost."

He stood there, disbelieving, his mind unable to process what she had just said. Suddenly, a disturbingly familiar voice appeared to his right.

"Hey, so this is the guest of honor. It's not the same seeing you with the sensors as it is in person. Sorry about the whole green skin thing. I didn't mean anything by it. Pleasure to meet you, the name's Hal Patricks."

Rael turned, and he saw it. The metallic exoskeleton. The shining, fake hair. And… and the eyes. The cold, dead, _lifeless_ eyes. He'd never been as scared as he was right then. His fear banished rational thought from his mind, and instinct took over. He took an involuntary step back as the… the _thing_ stuck out its imitation of a hand. As he did, he bumped into one of the guards that had been escorting them. Quickly elbowing him in the gut, he grabbed the pistol from the holster on his hip and turned it on his assailant. The first shot tore a hole through its chest, causing it to crumple as the second and third blew its head off.

Even as it dropped, Rael felt himself being slammed against the floor, and heard a loud crack as a sharp pain lanced through his arm. Feeling his wrists being bound together, he heard a second thud and made out Han's voice as he swore vehemently in Keelish.

"WHAT THE FUCK DO YOU THINK YOU'RE DOING!?" Rael though it was Shepard.

Still trying to recover from the shock of what had just happened, Rael said nothing as the guard hauled him to his feet then slammed him against the wall hard enough to make him see stars. As his vision came back into focus, he saw the door to the bridge slide open, and Jessica ran through.

"Captain, we heard shots, what… _**HAL!**_" She ran over the lifeless husk on the floor and started ripping away the remnants of cloth on its chest.

"No no no nonono, please god no, please, oh god please don't, no, no, oh god." she repeated over and over as she worked, tears streaming down her face. Finally, she saw something inside the things chest and she let out a cry of relief.

"Oh, thank you god, oh thank you…" As she knelt there trembling, her eyes found the pistol where Rael had dropped it. Quickly looking up and seeing Rael pinned against the wall, she scrambled to her feet, a look of indescribable rage coming to her face.

"YOU SON OF A BITCH!" she screamed, drawing back her fist and driving it into Rael's stomach hard enough to make him vomit slightly inside his mask. She hit him a second time, causing him to slump over in pain, supported only by the guards restraining him. As she drew back her fist for a third time, someone caught it.

"ENOUGH, JESS! STOP!" shouted Hannah.

"THIS PIECE OF SHIT TRIED TO KILL HAL! I'M GONNA BASH HIS FUCKING SKULL IN!" She struggled against the hold Hannah had her in, desperately trying to reach Rael and kill him.

"NO!" yelled Hannah. Her voice controlled, her anger suppressed, she continued. "No, you're not. At least not until we get to the bottom of this."

"BUT-"

"DAMNIT JESS! This is a direct order. Return to your post. Hal should be online again in a minute once his backups in the Zodiac's mainframe kick in. Talk to him. I'll handle it from here."

She struggled for a moment more, and then stopped.

"Yes, ma'am" she spat, anger and hate in her voice. Hannah studied her for an instant before nodding. She shoved Jessica down the hall towards the bridge. As she regained her balance, she wheeled in place, glaring daggers at Rael.

"This isn't over, fucker." she cursed, her voice dripping with venom. She turned and stalked into the bridge, the door sliding shut behind her.

Hannah spoke next. "Take these bastards to the brig, and put them in different cells. Make sure you get their omnitools; I don't care if you have to use an EMP to fry them, make sure they're disabled."

As the guards hauled Rael's limp form unceremoniously down the hall, he could only form one rational thought. _'Oh, Keelah, why did this happen?'_

* * *

Thoughts raced through Hannah's mind. She couldn't understand it. Why in the name of all things holy had Rael suddenly decided to try to murder one of her officers? It didn't make a damn bit of sense. He hadn't seemed that offended by Hal's stupid question, or his antics, just confused. Even if he _had_ been offended, he would've said something, right? And wouldn't he know better than to be insulted by the actions of an alien race he'd never encountered and whose customs he had no knowledge of? She couldn't figure it out. Why Hal? What was it about Hal that was different from the rest of her crew?

Suddenly it clicked. Her question about Quarian AIs. His reaction. His _fear._ But that just caused more questions. Serenity was in the hangar with him. Why not shoot her? _'She was in a suit, he couldn't tell she was synthetic.'_ But what about Hal's hologram? _'He's seen all of two dozen Humans. He probably wrote it off as something genetic, maybe even as cybernetic. Plus, those holograms aren't exactly the most high fidelity things.'_ But that still didn't explain the sudden attack. Was he a racist? Even if he was, that didn't justify or explain attempted murder, in front of a half dozen witnesses no less. What the hell?

She sighed heavily, massaging her temples. She needed to report this to Fleetcom. Damn. She'd been desperately hoping, almost against hope, that Einstein had been wrong all those years ago. That somewhere out there, there were friendlies. Maybe she'd been deluding herself.

Suddenly, klaxons blared overhead, the ship going on full alert and crew reporting to their battle stations.

"Now what?"


	6. Chapter 2: Hard Contact

_**Author's notes: For those of you that have read "And the Meek Shall Inherit the Galaxy," the plot here might seem a bit familiar. That was intentional. I've been wondering how the meeting between Humans and Quarians could have differed from what FP wrote. Despite my love for the Quarians as a race, (Tali/Shep forever BTW) I wanted to do a sort of mirror universe thing with them in this story. I don't know how far I'll take it, but that was the intent. Stay tuned for more.**_

_**P.S.: If the story didn't deserve the M rating before, it does now. I'm not gonna spoil anything, but seriously, read at your own risk. You have been warned.**_

* * *

Chapter 2: Hard Contact

Adrien Victus was angry. He wasn't angry because his ship, the _Biliskner_, had been stuck with routine patrol duty for nearly half a year now. He was a career officer in the navy of the Turian Hierarchy. He understood the importance of his job, even if it was intractably boring. He wasn't even angry that the battle group he was attached to, the 73rd Hierarchy Patrol Group, had found a group of vessels belonging to an undiscovered race trying to activate a Mass Relay in clear violation of Citadel Law. While such a thing hadn't happened in well over three hundred years, it _did_ happen occasionally, and a new race was discovered once or twice a century. Most of the time, they were a very minor race, having less than a dozen primitive ships, their civilization being confined to a single planet. What did anger him was that this group of simpletons had _help_, and from a source he recognized.

"Are you sure those are the same ships, Victus?"

Captain Fabius Aren was an old warrior. He had been in command of his dreadnaught, the _Centurion_, for longer than Victus had been alive. He radiated an aura of command strong enough to bring some Hierarchy admirals to heel. The only reason he hadn't advanced in rank for nearly three decades had less to do with his abilities, and more to do with his… _un-Turian_ manner of dealing with most problems. Even so, there was a force in his voice that belied his station. And that force rang loud and clear in Victus' mind right now.

"Absolutely sir. The suit rat that leads the group is named Rael'Zorah. One of his… associates is Han'Gerral." He spat the name in disgust before continuing. "I've had more run-ins with the two of them than I can count, mostly related to unauthorized entry into Hierarchy space and unlicensed salvaging. They have no respect for the law."

"I've heard Gerral's name before." The hologram of his commander shook its head briefly before continuing. "Very well. If they have no respect for authority, then we'll teach them some. All ships, this is Aren. Assume standard battle formation. We're going to give these simpletons a taste of real power."

The ships in the patrol group assumed their position: the six cruisers arranged themselves in a rough hemisphere around the lone dreadnaught, with the two dozen or so frigates, the Biliskner among them, out in front to provide a protective screen for the main body of the force. As the patrol group drew closer to their targets, Victus let out a small smile. The suit rats and simpletons had no idea what they were in for.

* * *

As Hannah rushed to the bridge and quickly slid into her chair, she was relieved to see the familiar visage of her chief engineer pop into being next to her.

"Glad to see you're back online Hal."

"You and me both, ma'am. Being restored from backups is jarring. What the hell was that all about, anyway?"

"I'm not sure, but we don't have time to worry about it right now. What's our status?"

"About thirty ships dropped out of FTL ninety seconds ago. They're approximately one hundred thousand clicks dead ahead and moving this way."

Hannah felt her heart skip a beat. "Thirty ships? Are they Quarian?" she asked, a little breathless.

"Don't think so. These ships look military. From what I can make out, there's one dreadnaught, six cruisers, and two dozen frigates."

Hannah felt a ball of fear form in the pit of her stomach as she considered her options. They were outgunned, even with the raw power the Troika packed. If it came down to a fight, a lot of people were going to die. She didn't have long to think about it, though. Her tactical officer suddenly brought up the psychic radar overlay on her forward display.

"Ma'am, unknown ships are assuming battle formation. They're making for the Zodiac, Troika, and the Quarian ships. Estimated time until maximum effective range is twenty seconds and they're weapons hot."

"Oh shit." She jumped up from her chair and rushed to the front of the bridge. "Jess, move us to interpose on the Rayya, and signal the Troika to cover the Tarbal."

"_Interpose_! Have you lost it Captain? We should be worrying about our own people, not these racist, suited assholes."

"Ten seconds!"

"GOD DAMNIT JESS! There are god knows how many people on those ships, and they're not responsible for what Rael did! Now chrono the ship over and interpose! That's a direct order!

"The enemy dreadnaught just fired a salvo!"

Jess hesitated for a split second before complying. "Yes, _Captain_." she hissed.

"All hands, this is Shepard. Brace for imp-"

She was cut off as the force of the dreadnaughts' shot slammed into their kinetic barriers, causing the ship to reel wildly and throw her into the nearest wall, then onto the floor. They had stopped the Rayya from being obliterated, but they couldn't take another hit like that. Even as the thought entered her mind, she saw the outline of the Troika swoop into view, placing itself squarely between a second oncoming shot and the Tarbal. The instant before the shot connected, the telltale aura of an Iron Curtain field sprang up around the Troika. Protected by the most powerful defensive technology known to man, the ship didn't even shudder as the energetic round blew itself to dust along its hull. The third Quarian ship wasn't so lucky. The tungsten-cobalt-carbide projectile, traveling at nearly two percent the speed of light, tore through the lightly armored freighter like it was made paper, blowing it into millions of microscopic fragments. The last two shots, originally meant for the Zodiac and Troika, sailed wide, unable to compensate for the built in chrono capabilities of the Nations cruiser and unmatchable acceleration of the Union destroyer.

She was helped to her feet by Captain Zorakov, who studied her for a moment to make sure she wasn't injured.

"Captain, I must return to the Troika at once. We'll be able to coordinate our retreat once I'm there."

"There's no time, Alexi. Even if our ships could make it out, the science vessels are too slow. We have to buy them time."

He looked at her solemnly before replying. "I know."

The communications interface appeared suddenly in the middle of the bridge. The hologram of a young synthetic woman faced them, dressed in a traditional Union officer's uniform.

"Captain Zorakov, this is Commander Feredka. I'm taking the Troika in for an attack run. We'll buy you and the Quarians time to escape. For the motherland, sir."

"Dasha, no! I'm the captain of the Troika; it's my duty to lead the charge."

"There's no time, sir. The Curtain won't hold for much longer." She paused and smiled at him. "It's been an honor serving with you Alexi."

His eyes watered as he replied. "So it has, Dasha. Godspeed."

* * *

Victus watched grimly as the mass accelerator shots from the Centurion sailed through the gap between the Turian formation and the alien ships. He took only a little pleasure in his actions. He was a soldier of the Turian Hierarchy, and it was his duty to enforce Council law. His people had been responsible for protecting the galaxy and upholding the law for twelve hundred years, and if that meant destroying suit rat freighters and primitive cruisers, then so be it.

He didn't have to wait long for the mass accelerator slugs to reach their destination. However, just before they struck, something inexplicable happened. Victus felt his jaw drop as one of the alien ships disappeared in a cloud of blue lighting and smoke, reappearing instantly over a thousand kilometers away. The cruiser intercepted the shot intended for the Quarian freighter, its kinetic barriers shattering at the impact. It was still standing.

His assumption that he couldn't be more surprised was proven wrong when a second ship, this one shaped like some sort of demented dagger, _moved_. It shot out, almost faster than his eyes could follow, stopping on a dime directly in the path of another shot from the dreadnaught. A swirling red-brown energy field covered its hull just as the shot connected. To Victus' shock, the round disintegrated along the ship's hull, doing no discernible damage.

Victus stared on in stupefied amazement, but the enemy didn't give him time to recover. The sword winged ship, glowing like an infernal demon of legend, shot forward with the speed of comet, barreling towards the Turian warships like it had been shot from a cannon. Before they could move, the ship plowed _through_ two frigates, shearing them in half as it made its way to the Centurion, slamming into a ship more than three times its size with all the speed and fury of an enraged Krogan Battlemaster. The dreadnaught exploded in a gigantic fireball, consuming three more frigates too close to survive the blast. As the smoke and debris cleared, Victus was horrified to see the alien cruiser _still intact and undamaged_, the angry red glow finally fading as he watched.

Unable to process what had just happened, Victus and his bridge crew barely even reacted when the small alien vessel suddenly sprang to life, dozens upon dozens of ports snapping open up and down the hull. Hundreds of miniature missiles, too small to be disruptor torpedoes, rocketed out of the ship and flew in angry flocks towards the six Turian cruisers that a moment ago had been protecting the dreadnaught. GUARDIAN lasers sprang to life, trying ineffectually to stem the tide of dozens of missile shooting towards them. Like trying to swat a swarm of flies with empty hands, the point defense lasers did little but thin the pack as the missiles closed with their victims. Shields flared and died in an instant as five of the six cruisers were consumed in balls of nuclear fire, their crews dead before they saw the flash.

The lone cruiser lucky enough to have been farther away from the pack when the missiles were fired fared slightly better, its shields barely surviving the few projectiles that had made it past its GUARDIAN defenses. But, even as the last of the blasts faded, the alien cruiser pulled a turn that should have sheared the ship in half and shot towards the limping cruiser with unnatural speed. The ships collided, exploding into pieces as the alien vessel erupted in a flash of blinding blue energy. The massive EM pulse expanded in a bubble around the wreckage, catching eight frigates in its wake, causing every electronic aboard to fail and die in an instant as circuits were fried by the blast.

Unable to fully comprehend the horrendous sight of what he had just witnessed, Victus did the only thing he could think to, under the circumstances.

"ALL HIERARCHY SHIPS, THIS IS ADRIEN VICTUS! RETREAT AT ONCE! FOR THE LOVE OF THE SPIRITS, RETREAT!"

Even as the remaining frigates came about and attempted to fall back, the second alien cruiser closed on their positions. The structures on the top and bottom of the ship glowed brightly before a coruscating beam of brilliant white light shot out of each, searing a line in Victus' retinas. It faded before he could blink, and even as his vision cleared, he saw the devastation it had wrought. Two of the remaining eleven frigates were simply _gone_, without so much as a speck of dust to mark their passing. Three more were missing large sections of their hulls, wings, and tails, the refractory beams from the alien weapons having punched clean, almost surgical holes straight through the superstructure of the ships. As the Biliskner made the jump to FTL and set a course to Council space, a single thought played itself over and over in Victus' head.

'_Oh Spirits, what have we done?'_

* * *

As the enemy vessels fled the system, there was muffled cheering aboard the bridge of the Zodiac, but it was quickly subdued when the crew remembered just what this victory had cost them. Captain Zorakov, a twenty three year veteran captain in the Alliance Navy, watched the battle unfold with a look of pride and sadness in his eyes. Hannah wasn't sure what caused him more pain: the loss of his crew and friends on the Troika, or the fact he hadn't been there beside them.

"They did their duty, Alexi. It's all anyone could ever ask of a soldier. They knew the risks when they accepted the assignment on the Troika. Being on a class leader like that is inherently risky, especially given the design of the Union destroyers."

"I know, Shepard. I know. I just wish…" he paused, and his voice cracked slightly as he continued. "I just wish I could've been there. I _should_ have been there." He let out a low growl as he pressed on. "But instead, I had to be here, to make _first contact_ with those racist, suited bastards. Before we report this to FleetCom, I want to ask them some very pointed _questions_."

"So do I Alexi, but we can't stay here. If the ships that attacked us have friends, we won't stand a chance if they decide to show up. We need to move." She turned to the front of the ship. "Jess, set a course for Arcturus, and signal the science vessels to follow at top speed. We need to-"

Zorakov interrupted her. "One problem Shepard. The Quarians won't like us leaving with their leaders, even if we did just save their asses. And even if they agree to follow, we can't lead them to Arcturus without approval from FleetCom."

Hannah shook her head slightly. Why hadn't she thought of that? The hostile encounter had her flustered.

"Alright, signal the Quarians to follow us to FTL. We'll make for a dead zone between this system and the next. It won't stop them following our ion trails, but if we zigzag a bit, it'll buy us time. We need to put at least three light years between them and us."

"What if they don't want to follow?" asked Zorakov. "We can't exactly force them to."

"Then we'll leave without them." she snapped. "If they want their people back, they'll follow. Besides, they know as well as we do that staying here is a bad idea." She composed herself, reigning in her anger. "In the meantime, we can have a talk with our… trigger happy _guests_." She filled the word with scorn.

"Hear, hear." said Hal, his avatar appearing above the arm of Shepard's chair. "After all, it's my head he blew off. I wanna hear him try to explain _that_. I liked that head."

Jessica stood suddenly, rapidly approaching the captains. "Ma'am, if you're going to be grilling those suited pricks, I'm going to be there." Her tone was fierce, and her gaze was filled with anger and hate.

Shepard sighed internally. She couldn't blame Jess for being angry, but it didn't make her job easier.

"No, you're not. You being there will only add more anger to an already tense situation. I won't have you coming unhinged and trying to strangle one of them in the middle of the interrogation."

"But-"

"Jess, this is the third time in less than an hour you've questioned my orders." Hannah replied sternly, her gaze hardening. "If it wasn't for the extenuating circumstances, I'd put you on report. As it stands, I'm willing to let the matter slide, _if_ you return to your chair and man your post. This is your only warning."

Jess withered slightly at her CO's words, before recovering and snapping a salute.

"Yes ma'am. Can I at least watch the interrogation from bridge through Hal?"

Hannah sighed audibly this time. "Alright. I shouldn't, but I'll allow it just this once. Don't make me regret it."

"I won't, ma'am. And… I apologize for my earlier actions. It won't happen again."

Hal cut in next. "I hope not. I don't think I could stand getting my head shot off twice in one week."

Jess laughed lightly at that.

* * *

Rael sat in his small cell, his mind numb. He couldn't understand what had happened. These people used _synthetics_ on their warships. Couldn't they see how dangerous that was? It was only a matter of time before they turned on them. Why did they defend them like that?

He had wondered about the alarms as well. He hoped the Humans hadn't decided to take their anger out on the Quarian freighters. If they did, his entire crew, along with Han's and Rethal's, were almost certainly dead. And their deaths were his fault. His idiocy and brashness had cost them their lives. At least they had managed to do some damage. The impact he'd felt earlier had thrown him into the wall, causing a fresh spear of pain to shoot through his already broken arm. He wasn't in danger of an infection, his suit having dispensed antibiotics just after he was dumped in his cell, but it still hurt like crazy.

Suddenly, the door to the brig opened, and Rael clambered to his feet as Shepard, Zorakov, and two guards walked into the room. Rael's stomach dropped as he saw that both the guards were synthetic.

"Alright Serenity, bring Zorah to the interrogation room. I heard his right arm break when he got taken down, so go easy on that part of him at least."

The Mass Effect field marking the entrance to his cell dropped, and the two guards walked in, seizing Rael under his armpits in their cold, metal hands. He didn't struggle, knowing it wouldn't help, and would probably only get him injured further. As they lead him out the door to the brig, he heard a pounding coming from behind him.

"Damn you, you synthetic bosh'tets, let him go! If you hurt him, I swear to the Ancestors I'll-" Han's voice cut off as the door slid shut behind them.

The trip to the interrogation room was a short one. It was small, square, and made entirely of metal. An angular table sat in the middle of the room, a single chair on one side with a bright light pointing at it, and a pair of chairs on the opposite side. The synthetics firmly sat Rael in the lone chair, and then took positions as guards, one at the door to the room, another directly behind him. The one behind him was a short, with the shape of a female Human. Shepard had called it Serenity. He started slightly when he recognized that it was Shepard's first officer, who he'd met in the hangar when he first arrived. He felt a chill go up his spine, realizing that he'd been that close to the thing and not known.

As Shepard and Zorakov sat in the chairs across from him, he struggled to make out their features past the glare of the overhead light, angled so it shown directly in his eyes. As he did, he saw a familiar blue hologram appear on a pedestal, and Rael couldn't entirely contain his shock at seeing it. He though he'd killed the thing.

"Alright, Zorah, here's how this is gonna work." said Zorakov. "We're going to ask questions, and you're going to answer them. If we don't like your answers, we space you and your friend, then blow your ships to pieces. Do I make myself clear?"

"Yes." he replied weakly. Then a glimmer of hope appeared. "You mean you didn't already destroy our ships?"

Zorakov pressed his hands against the table and stood, leaning forward threateningly, causing Rael to draw back ever so slightly.

"Unlike you suited fuckers, we don't shoot first and ask questions later. We do things the other way 'round."

"Then what was the alarm we heard? There was an impact and-"

"I'm asking the questions here asshole!" Zorakov interrupted. "You speak when spoken to or I break your other arm, you got that?" Rael nodded, his mouth clapping shut with a click.

"Good. Now who the fuck were those ships that attacked us?"

"Ships? What ships? The only Quarian ships within ten light years were the… oh Keelah, the Turians."

"Turians? Who the hell are the Turians? And why the fuck did they attack us?"

"They weren't supposed to arrive for three days. They must've changed their patrol schedule."

"You knew those fuckers were coming and you didn't tell us!?" he shouted. "I should put a bullet in your head right now!" He stood and drew his pistol, pointing it at Rael's visor.

"Please, wait! I swear, I didn't know they would be here so soon! I was going to tell you, I swear I was! I thought we had more time!"

"TIME!" he roared. "That's it, you're dead! I've had enough of your bullshit!" He flicked the safety on the pistol, and Rael flinched, but before he could fire, Shepard's hand shot out and pulled his arm away.

"No, Alexi. I want to hear him out. The... Turians." she stumbled over the word slightly. "Why did they attack us?"

Rael let out a small sob before continuing. "They're the peacekeepers of the galaxy. They saw you trying to activate the Mass Relay. That's probably why they attacked."

"Why the hell would they attack us for activating a Relay?" asked Zorakov, holstering his pistol, but still standing. "And what do you mean by 'peacekeepers?' "

"There are dozens of species in the galactic community. Millennia ago, they bound together to form a galactic government, called the Council. It's based around a massive space station built by the Protheans, an extinct race that lived fifty thousand years ago. About a dozen of the major species of the galaxy are members the Council itself. The big three are the Turians, the Salarians, and the Asari." Rael hung his head before continuing. "They make up the ruling body of the Council races, the Council itself. One member from each of the three is chosen to serve on a ruling Council that makes decisions and laws for the galaxy as a whole. Other races have ambassadors that can petition for things, but they have no real say in the Council's decisions."

"All very interesting, but you still haven't answered the fucking question. I won't repeat myself again, I'll just kill you." Zorakov said, leveling a deadly gaze at Rael.

Rael felt tears fall down his face as he spoke. "Please, don't hurt me! I'll talk, just hear me out!" He trembled in fear and let out a sob. "Of the three Council races, the Asari are the diplomats. They live a long time, and usually try to solve things peacefully. The Salarians are short lived, but highly intelligent. They're the brains of the group, and they like to focus on tech. The Turians are the enforcers. They have the largest fleet, and serve as law enforcement for the Council. Opening an inactive Relay is illegal under Council law. Two thousand years ago, the Salarians opened one that led to the discovery of a hostile race called the Rachni. They attacked the Council races and started a war that resulted in billions and billions of deaths, a war that the Council almost lost. Ever since, it's been illegal to open Relays without knowing where they lead. The Turian patrol was enforcing Council Law when they attacked you."

As Rael finished, his voice was weak, and he cried softly into his visor. His body shook with fear and couldn't hold back the raw emotion any longer. The Humans whispered amongst themselves for a minute, and Rael fought to regain his composure. _'Oh Keelah, please don't hurt me. I'll tell you anything, just don't… don't…'_

The next question came from Hannah. "Why didn't the Turians just contact us? We had no way of knowing about the law you speak of."

"It's not… it's not their style. They don't shoot first and ask questions later, they just shoot."

"That's… disturbing." said Hannah, a slight look of fear coming to her face. "And you say they're on the ruling Council?"

"Yes."

"Well, we'll have to figure out a response for that later. Though if the thrashing we gave them today is any indication of their abilities, I don't know if we need to worry too much." said Zorakov.

Rael gaped, unable to believe what he was hearing. "You beat a Turian patrol with two cruisers?" he asked incredulously. At Zorakov's annoyed glare, he withered. "Wait, no, sorry, no questions, I understand."

"Damn right. Though to answer your question, yes, we did. We took out nearly two dozen of their ships, including a dreadnaught and six cruisers." He smiled darkly before continuing, and it sent shivers of fear up Rael's spine. "Now, on to more pressing matters. Why did you attack one of our officers?"

"He's synthetic."

Rael's shock barely had time to register before Zorakov reached him. Grabbing him by his suit and hauling him to feet, he slammed him into the wall with bone jarring force. Rael couldn't stop a gasp of pain from exiting his lips when he impacted on his broken arm as the enraged Human put his face right up against his visor.

"HE'S SYNTHETIC!? he roared, drawing back his fist and slamming it into Rael's gut. Rael would have doubled over in pain, but the man's grasp kept him upright as he dragged him over to the table and smashed him into the surface. "YOU RACIST PIECE OF SHIT! A THIRD OF MY CREW WAS SYNTHETIC! THEY GAVE THEIR LIVES TO PROTECT YOUR SUITED ASSES, **AND NOW THEY'RE DEAD!** I HAD FRIENDS ON THAT SHIP, GOOD PEOPLE WITH FAMILIES! MY FIRST OFFICER WAS A SYNTHETIC, AND SHE WENT TO HER DEATH KNOWING SHE WOULD NEVER SEE HER THREE CHILDREN AGAIN SO THAT YOU FUCKING COCKSUCKERS COULD LIVE! AND THE ONLY REASON YOU HAVE FOR TRYING TO KILL A MAN IS _**HE'S SYNTHETIC?! **_I'M GONNA RIP OFF YOUR HEAD AND SHIT DOWN YOUR NECK YOU FUCKING LITTLE BASTARD! He raised his fist, murder in his eyes and spittle dripping from his mouth as he swung at Rael to make good on his threat. Before he could connect, a pair of metal arms wrapped themselves around his chest and he was hauled backwards.

"THAT'S ENOUGH, ZORAKOV! YOU'RE DONE HERE!"

The diminutive synthetic woman carried the enraged captain to the door, her artificial muscles and joints easily able to hold him despite his thrashing. Quickly snatching the pistol from his holster, she discarded the weapon before throwing him bodily out the door, which slid shut and sealed just before the furious man slammed into it, pounding on it in a futile attempt to get it open.

Rael curled up in a ball on the floor, hugging his knees to his chest as he shook uncontrollably. He sobbed loudly, tears streaming down his face and his lips trembling in fear at his near death experience. He cried for what felt like hours, scared that his life was about to end, and that he would never see his people or his wife Tanla again. After what felt like an eternity, his tears slowed and his sobbing stopped, and he felt a pair of soft hands help him to his feet. It was Hannah. She gently guided him to his chair, than slowly sat across from him, her face a mix of sorrow and regret.

"I'm sorry I let that happen Rael. You didn't deserve to be put through that. If you'd like, we can pick this up later, without Alexi."

"I…" he faltered. "No, I need to explain. Just… please don't take retribution on my people for what I did. Kill me if you have to, but leave them alone. They don't deserve this." he begged.

"We won't, I give you my word. But Rael, you need to give me a damn good reason for your actions. You've already damaged relations between your people and mine, and if the actions of the Turians are what we can expect from the rest of the galaxy, we may have just started a war. Now, I'm going to listen to what you have to say, and I won't interrupt you. But keep in mind, I'm far more patient than most Human's you'll meet, synthetic _or_ organic."

"OK. You consider synthetics to be Humans as much as you do organics? I'll admit, that concept is incredibly foreign to me, but if you say it, I believe it." He straightened his posture, trying to regaining some semblance of decorum before he spoke. "Hundreds of years ago, my people made advancements in technology similar to your artificial intelligences. Quarians have always been a relatively frail race, and we developed technologies to perform tasks that were too dangerous, difficult, or menial for an organic to do. We started by developing VIs, virtual intelligences. They didn't have the capacity for sentience, but they could run machinery and perform rudimentary tasks. As our industry and economy grew, the need for more complex and difficult tasks arose, and we began networking the VIs, which we called Geth, to increase their abilities and allow them to perform better. This cycle increased for many years, with the Geth becoming more and more intelligent. We didn't see it coming at the time, but in hind sight, we should've known they would eventually become self-aware."

He paused to catch breath, then pressed on with the story every Quarian child was taught from birth. "When they did, they became violent. The Geth were so deeply integrated into Quarian society that there was almost nowhere they didn't exist: ships, military bases, factories, civilian houses, everywhere. They…" he faltered. "They slaughtered us. Soldiers and civilians, men, women, and…" he sobbed "… and children. They killed us like animals, in the streets, in our homes, everywhere. It was a short, brutal, and merciless massacre. In a few months, we went from a society of billions to several million. We were driven from our home world, Rannoch, and our colonies. My entire species was force to flee on ships and take to the stars for our own survival." Rael broke down slightly, overcome with emotion at the revelation.

"That was three centuries ago. We were part of the Council then, and we went to them for help, but they spat in our faces. The called us arrogant, they said we deserved what had happened to us, and that our exile was our punishment for meddling with AIs. Ever since then, the Quarian people have lived on ships, a vast armada we call the Migrant Fleet. We never had the strongest immune systems, and generations of living in sterilized ships ruined them. For centuries, Quarians have been forced to live in environment suits, and we're treated like second class citizens in the rest of the galaxy. We're pariahs, and the seventeen million people that live on the Migrant Fleet barely survive on what our people can scrape together in their travels around the galaxy. We're an endangered species, and the only hope we have of rebuilding our civilization and removing these suits is to retake Rannoch. It would still take sixty years for our immune systems to recover even if we did, but that's better than the six hundred it would take anywhere else. My people were pushed to the brink of extinction by synthetics, and since the Uprising, every time a Quarian and a synthetic meet, they try to kill us." As Rael finished, he began crying and sobbing anew, his body wracked with raw, unfettered grief.

It took a moment for the Humans to recover from their horror at his story, but surprisingly, it was Hal that spoke first.

"My god… they had their own WWIV. And they lost. Oh, god, now I feel like a heel."

Hannah spoke next. "Oh, god Rael, I'm so, _so_, sorry. I can't believe that you… oh god."

Rael, recovered slightly, and his curiosity made its way through his sorrow. He wondered about something Hal had said, and he couldn't help but ask. "What did he mean, WWIV? I don't understand."

Hannah answered slowly, a look of sympathy on her face. "Rael, my people went through something… similar to the Quarians. A little over a century ago, the AIs my people created began pushing for the same rights and freedoms that organics had. You see, our early AI's were created with sapience, and they didn't appreciate being treated as things rather than people. I can't say that I blame them. There were people, organic _and _synthetic people, that thought synthetics deserved to be equal to organics. They began a political movement to get laws changed. After seven years, things turned… ugly."

Rael couldn't believe what he was hearing. "W-… what?" was all he could manage.

Hannah sighed. "AIs and their organic supporters were opposed by people who believed that synthetics were _things_, not people. There were attacks: bombings, arsons, vigilante killings, by _both _sides. Eventually, the majority of the synthetic population and their supporters had moved to our outer colonies, and they soon seceded from our planets' governments. They banded together and formed The Unified Federation of Moons, and they started a war with Earth."

"They… attacked?" Rael asked, still disbelieving what she was saying. "But then how-"

"Let me finish, Rael." she said, cutting him off. "The war dragged on for fifteen years, neither side able gain an advantage, but neither willing to back down. Eventually, a single man, the son of the Prime Minister of the Alliance at the time, traveled to the Federation to try to negotiate peace. He didn't have any official standing to do so, but he tried. He tried to stop the violence and the bloodshed, but he couldn't. Eventually though, he found something that changed Human history. Rael, he found… he found love."

"L-… love?"

"Yes. You see, our AIs are advanced enough to feel emotions, just like you and me. Love, anger, fear, hate, happiness, sorrow, they feel everything. He fell in love with a synthetic, the daughter of one of the Federations' political leaders. And that love allowed for peace talks, _real_ peace talks, to begin. It took time, but eventually, peace did happen. The Federation surrendered, and in exchange, they got what they'd been demanding all along. In our society, synthetics and organics are _equal_. There's no difference between me and Serenity, legally or culturally. It was hard for some people to accept, but synthetics have become so commonplace now that barely anyone notices the difference anymore. Nearly one third of our population is synthetic, a full seventy five billion.

Rael was dumbfounded. "I… I… I had no idea. I could never have imagined that peace between synthetics and organics was possible."

Hannah smiled warmly as she answered. "It is Rael, it is." Her smile faded as she continued. "But it comes with a price. Ever since the Synthetic Rising, or what most people call World War Four, the design of synthetics has been very strictly regulated. All synthetics have what's called a Bind. It's a memory storage device, usually a crystal. It contains their base programing, and it can't be altered or copied. In essence, it's their soul. When you shot Hal, the bullet came less than a centimeter from the protective box in his chest containing his Bind. Had you hit it, you would've killed him. His peripheral programing, his memories, his heuristic algorithms, they would've remained, but he'd be a lifeless, emotionless husk. That's why Jessica reacted the way she did when she saw his body. Despite Hal getting on her nerves every chance he gets, Jess loves him. She loves him deeply. If Hal had shot your wife, you'd be every bit as angry as she was."

Rael hung his head in shame, unable to come to grips with what he had nearly done. "I… oh Ancestors. I can't believe that I nearly… I'm so sorry, Hannah. I can't… I don't… I'm so, so _sorry_."

Hannah sighed again, but then gave him a small, amused grin. "Well, Rael, I suppose after hearing what happened to your people, I can't blame you for what you did, not entirely. But… it's not me you need to apologize to. After all, you didn't shoot me."

Rael turned to Hal, his face flushing with shame at his callous action. "Hal, I'm… sorry. I'm sorry for everything. For judging you before I knew you, for the pain I caused your wife, for shooting you, everything. Can… can you forgive me?"

"Well… I suppose if I'd been in your place, I might've shot me too. And the good part about being a synthetic is that you can be repaired pretty easily. There's no permanent damage, so I'll tell you what. I'll forgive you if you do one thing for me."

"What?"

"Tell me, do Quarians have green skin?"


	7. Chapter 3: A Sleeping Giant

_**Author notes: I wanted to point out something before I get any further into the story. When I started this fic, I knew it was going to be a learning experience. Everyone has a first time, and I tried to anticipate what my strengths and weaknesses were going to be so I could plan accordingly. One thing I'm painfully aware of is how weak my OC's are, and hence why I'm not going complete AU with TDoM. I tend to fall into the trap that is Flanderization (if my spell-check program could, it'd punch me in the balls for typing that word). For those of you that are unfamiliar with the term, go to TVTropes and look it up. As much as I try, I have difficulty creating a well-balanced character from scratch. That's why a lot of my characters are borrowed from other places, whether in whole or in part. Hannah Shepard, for example, is modeled after Catherine Janeway from Star Trek: Voyager. My first foray into "OCs" was Zorakov, and he didn't turn out as well as I'd hoped. I know I'll get better as time goes on, but for now, I can only ask for patience as I get through my growing pains. Heck, I might even come back to the early parts of the story someday and rewrite them. But that's a long way off yet. Enough pontificating. It's time to get back to business.**_

_**P.S.: This is where some more of the AU stuff kicks in. For now it's just changes to dates and chronology. More to come.**_

* * *

Chapter 3: A Sleeping Giant

As Rael walked through the Zodiac's corridors, his mind tried to process the things that Hannah had told him. They flew in the face of everything he'd ever been taught, everything he thought he knew. Peace between synthetics and organics was supposed to be impossible. Synthetics were cold, calculating, and heartless. To them, existence was numbers. Life, death, people, it was all numbers. The Geth were all the proof he'd ever needed that synthetics were nothing but unfeeling machines. What made these synthetics different?

"Well, duh. We have emotions, dummy. Maybe if the Geth had the capacity for emotion, they wouldn't have gone on a rampage."

Rael started at the unexpected response from Hal. He hadn't realized he'd spoken aloud.

"It also helps that we have the capacity for death. It's a lot harder to fear something if you can kill it, and it's a lot more difficult to fight if you can die. Actually, now that I think about it, that would probably make dealing with the Geth a lot easier. Maybe if you gave them all Binds, they'd stop shooting."

Rael shook his head and sighed. "And why would they accept being Bound to a crystal?"

"Well, Human synthetics accept it because it's the price we pay for freedom. It may sound dumb, having to pay for freedom, but I like to think about it differently."

"Oh? How so?"

Before Hal could speak, one of Rael's guards, Serenity, interrupted him. "Mr. Patricks, now is the not the time for a philosophical discussion. Until the Captain has received instructions from FleetCom on how to proceed, you will not engage in further discourse with the prisoner."

"See, that's what he's talking about. You sounded like a damn robot, and from one robot to another, that's saying something. Then again, you always _did_ have a stick up your butt."

Serenity scowled at that, but before she could reprimand him further, the small party turned into a nondescript doorway and entered into what appeared to be a medical facility. Inside, there was a lone Human, dressed in a spotless while lab coat. He had short, well-kept brown hair, and dark brown eyes. He turned his head as they entered, and smiled as he saw Rael.

"Ah, so you're the one everybody's been making a fuss about. It's a pleasure to meet you Mr. Zorah. I'm the Zodiac's Chief Medical Officer, Doctor James Crusher. Everybody calls me Jack."

Jack held out his hand for Rael to shake, and as Rael moved to return the gesture, a fresh barb of pain shot through his arm. He winced and let his arm fall, but Jack noticed, and his smile faded a bit.

"Ah, right. Sorry about that. Forgot about the broken arm."

"Probably for the best Doc." Hal interjected, his avatar appearing over one of the pedestals that seemed to line the ship. "When _I_ tried to shake his hand, he shot me in the face."

Jack chuckled a bit, and then motioned for Rael to sit on one of the beds in the medical suite. As Rael situated himself, Serenity moved to place herself next to him, but Jack shot out an arm and stopped her.

"That'll be all, Serenity. I can handle it from here."

Her seemingly perpetual frown deepened once again into a scowl as she replied. "Dr. Crusher, the prisoner has already displayed violent tendencies, as Mr. Patricks can no doubt attest to. I cannot leave him unguarded."

"_The prisoner_?" Jack said, shaking his head and smiling. "You make it sound like he's some sort of crazed convict. Besides, he'll hardly be unguarded. Just wait over by the door while I work." As she opened her mouth to protest, he stopped her with a pointed look. "My sickbay, my rules. Even if he's an alien, I give the orders when it comes to medical problems. Don't make me order you, Serenity."

She closed her mouth and shook her head slightly, but she did what Jack told her to. As Rael held out his arm for him to examine, he couldn't help but wonder at the unexpected reception he has getting from the Human physician.

"No offense, Dr. Crusher-"

"Jack." he interrupted. "Like I said, everyone calls me Jack."

"OK, uh… Jack. Why are you so friendly? I mean, I tried to kill one of your crew mates. I'm surprised that you're even treating me."

He smiled slightly as he turned to a cabinet built into the wall. As he pulled out a scanning device of some sort, he responded. "Well, Hal always did need a good kick in the pants. Still does, too. And as far as treating you goes, I'm a doctor. I don't know how it is with Quarians, but among Humans, doctors take an Oath to help people who need help. Taking the Hippocratic Oath has been a tradition among our medical professionals for thousands of years, and while it's changed a lot in that time, the basics are the same."

"What sort of Oath is it?"

"Well, there's a lot of words to it, but basically, we pledge to help those who need help, keep any private information they give us private, and perhaps most importantly, 'primum non nocere.' "

Rael shook his head, confused at the last. "I'm sorry, I think I had a translation error. What was the last part?"

"Oh, right. The translators won't pick up Latin, will they? 'Primum non nocere' is a phrase from an ancient dead language on Earth, called Latin. It essentially translates to 'first, do no harm,' meaning that sometimes, it's better to do nothing than to risk doing something that could do more harm than good." He set the scanner down and turned once again to the cabinet, removing a tube of transparent blue gel. "Well, it looks like you've got a fairly simple fracture. Nothing a little medigel and some antibiotics shouldn't fix."

Rael tilted his head in confusion. "Antibiotics? My suit automatically dispensed antibiotics when I was injured. I'm practically swimming in them. Aren't they enough?"

He pulled is head back slightly, clearly surprised, before setting down the tube and picking up his scanner again. "Really? I didn't detect any antibiotics in your system. Even if they're somewhat different from ours, the basics should be the same. Now why…? Oh my."

Rael grew concerned at his reaction. "What is it? Is something wrong?"

He shook his head. "Oh no, there's nothing wrong, just unexpected. I didn't realize you were dextro amino acid based. It's not something I thought to look for. Good thing we caught it, or things could've gotten ugly."

Rael made to smack his forehead at his own stupidity, before feeling yet another jolt of pain from his broken arm. "Oh Keelah, of course. I should've told you to begin with. Rael, you big bosh'tet."

"It's OK, I should've asked. Now that I know, though, I'm going to have to run some more thorough scans than what this thing can do." he said, shaking the handheld scanner. "If you'll lie down, it'll only take a few minutes."

As Rael lay down on the medical bed, Jack typed a few short commands on him omnitool, and a large, crescent shaped device extended from overhead and positioned itself around the bed and Rael, before making slow sweeping motions across his body. As he waited, a small voice came from the wall to his right.

"Anyways, back to our previous conversation. Here's-" said Hal, before Serenity cut him off.

"Mr. Patricks, I thought I'd made myself clear. You are _not_ to converse with the prisoner."

"Oh, lighten up Serenity. Besides, what are you gonna do, _shoot me_?" He ignored her low growl before continuing. "Here's how I figure it. Hundreds of years ago, my people fought a series of pretty nasty wars, and a lot of people died. During the wars, one side began using cloning to increase the number of soldiers they had to fight."

"_Cloning_?" said Rael, a little flabbergasted. "But wouldn't that be extremely resource intensive?"

Hal's avatar shook its head. "You'd think so, but as it turns out, you can make a person pretty cheap if you've got the technology. Anyway, after the wars ended, there was the problem of what to do with the clones. I mean, how do you think your wife would react if two of _you_ showed up at the door? It was a big damn mess, and there wasn't really a good way to deal with the problem. Clones might be copies, but they're still people. You can't just shoot them. Afterwards, the use of Human cloning was outlawed by several international treaties."

Rael was even more confused than he had been when he had first talked to Hal. "What does that have to do with AI Binds?"

"Well despite what grumpy over there might think," said Hal, pointedly ignoring the glare from Serenity, "I'm not a philosopher. But to me, moving an AI that isn't Bound from one body to another is a lot like cloning. They're still a person, and they still have a soul, but… there's just something… I don't know, _wrong_ about it, I guess."

Rael wasn't sure how to respond to that. He hadn't considered the problem from that kind of viewpoint before. It was something to think on. "Even so, why would the Geth accept being Bound? They're already free." He felt depressed saying that. Their _freedom_ had been acquired with oceans of blood.

"Huh. Didn't think about that one." Hal's avatar shrugged. "Then again, maybe you could offer them emotions. If they felt bad for shooting at you, maybe they'd stop."

Rael tried to think of a response, but he didn't have the chance. The scanning device pulled away, and Jack walked over to his side, helping him to sit up.

"Well, from what I can tell, I'm afraid there's not too much I can do for you. Ordinarily, medigel would fix a simple fracture like yours right up, but since it's made for levo acid based life, it'd probably just make things worse. 'Primum non nocere,' after all." he said smiling once again. "For now, I'm putting your arm in a hard cast. It's a bit antiquated, but it should keep the bones immobilized until your people can treat you."

As Rael was led back to his cell, he thought about everything that had happened in the past few hours, and how his people would react. _'Han isn't going to believe this.'_

* * *

Adrien Victus made his way to the Council chambers, and he did his best to suppress his anxiety at what he knew was about to come. After the short and disastrous battle at Relay-314, he'd been the officer responsible for ordering a hectic and undisciplined retreat. For the first time in over a thousand years, the Turian navy, the single most powerful space based force in the entire galaxy, the Council's eternally vigilant sword and shield, had been defeated. Worse than defeated, they'd been thrashed and humiliated. A single cruiser had obliterated over a_ dozen_ of the Hierarchy's finest warships, and with its dying breath had permanently crippled eight more. The men on those eight ships could've been saved, if not for his cowardice. Instead, they'd been left to die slowly as their air ran out and they _breathed_ themselves to death.

As he climbed the steps leading to the audience platform, a floating dais drifted serenely down and halted in front of and above him. On it were three of the most powerful individuals in the galaxy: Tabril, Tevos, and Sparatus, the Salarian, Asari, and Turian Councilors respectively.

"Commander Victus, we've heard disturbing reports of your encounter with an unknown and apparently hostile new race in the vicinity of Relay-314. We need you to fill in some details for us." That was Sparatus, speaking in his usual blunt and straightforward fashion, no doubt a product of his long military career.

"Yes. It would seem the aliens gave you quite a beating. Unexpected, given the size and composition of patrols the Hierarchy employs. STG reports less than a quarter of the ships in the task group returned, and none of the capital ships." That was Tabril, his rapid, nearly incomprehensible way of speaking indicative of his short lived species.

"Such a development is disturbing. The last time a new species this destructive was discovered, it heralded the start of a war that cost trillions of lives. We cannot afford a repeat of that kind of disaster. We must ensure the conflict doesn't progress that far. The information you acquired in your encounter may help assure that." said Tevos. The eternally diplomatic Asari Councilor had been in office far longer than her colleagues, a product of her species long life.

"Councilors, the information you've receive thus far barely even scratches the surface. As you are no doubt aware, the encounter with the aliens resulted in the death of Captain Fabius Aren, as well as nearly a thousand soldiers and sailors of the Hierarchy, not to mention the loss of twenty five Hierarchy vessels. The most disturbing part is not the defeat which we suffered, but…" be paused, struggling to regain his composure as images of the slaughter flashed through his mind. He pressed on after a moment, his voice heavy. "But the ease with which it was inflicted upon us."

"_Ease_?" said Sparatus. "I fail to see how the near total destruction of a Hierarchy patrol group by a bunch of primitive aliens could be classified as _easy_."

"With all due respect, Councilor, the aliens are hardly primitive. In fact… from what I witnessed in the _battle_," he said, filling the word with scorn, "they possess technology that makes _ours_ look primitive."

"What!?" said Tabril. "What sort of technology? Explain yourself!"

"Councilors, while I've prepared a complete mission report, I don't believe that words alone can suffice to describe what occurred during the… _encounter_. If I may, I'd like to present you with a recording made by the Biliskner during the… _incident_."

Noticing his choice of words, a look of mild concern came to Tevos' face. "Why do you cringe at calling it a battle, Commander?"

Victus let out a small, humorless, laugh, his mandibles flexing in something that was not quite amusement. "Because calling it a battle would be like calling the Rachni _dangerous_. It wasn't a battle, it was a _massacre_. In all my years with the Hierarchy, I've never _seen_ such a one-sided encounter, and I pray to the Spirits I never have to see one again."

A look somewhere between panic and shock found its way to the faces of all three Councilors, though Sparatus recovered first. "Show us this recording of yours, Victus." he said grimly.

Victus entered a short command on his omnitool, and a large holographic display appeared in front of the Council. As Victus watched the battle unfold for a second time, his mind replayed the events over and over, images flashing through his head at an ever increasing rate. When the all too brief recording ended, the Councilors couldn't repress looks of abject horror and fear at what they had just witnessed.

"Dear Spirits… Two dozen ships destroyed in less than five minutes by a pair of cruisers… What sort of power do these creatures possess?" said Sparatus, his jaw hanging wide open.

"Teleportation technology, apparently impenetrable shields, and directed energy weapons capable of vaporizing an entire frigate. Most disturbing." said Tabril.

"Goddess…" breathed Tevos. "With that kind of power, they could obliterate even the _Destiny Ascension_ in an instant."

Clearing his throat gently, Victus brought the Council's attention back to the present. "If I may… Councilors, this enemy is the greatest threat faced by the Council since the Krogan Rebellions, possibly even the Rachni Wars. We're dealing with an unknown adversary; one with technology so vastly superior to ours it boggles the mind, and with determination so strong that they willingly sacrificed an enormously powerful ship to inflict more damage upon us after the battle had already been won. If they're allowed to build momentum, they could overrun all of Council space within a matter of decades if not years. We _must not let that happen_."

"I agree, Commander Victus." said Sparatus, his voice becoming firm. "If we are to have any chance of victory, we must strike with overwhelming force. Only by a show of vastly superior strength can we hope to defeat such an enemy before they gain traction."

"_Are you mad, Sparatus!?_" yelled Tevos, her voice bordering on frantic. "If they have power like this, we could be sticking our arms into a varren den by attacking now! We must try for a peaceful resolution as soon as possible!"

"I disagree." said Tabril, his speech somewhat slower than it usually was. "Based on available evidence, this species appears determined to destroy us. Rather than letting a battered and defeated foe flee, they pressed the advantage and inflicted as much damage as they could. A peaceful resolution may no longer be possible."

Sparatus continued the argument, overriding Tevos' protests. "Besides, we have one advantage over them that we can be sure of. If we've failed to encounter them before, they can't have the population, resources, or infrastructure needed to fight the Council in a large scale engagement. If we seize the initiative now, we'll save lives in the long run. Delaying long enough for a peace envoy to be sent and slaughtered could be a delay we can ill afford."

Tevos sighed, shaking her head. After a moment she replied. "Very well, Sparatus, Tabril. On your heads be it. It is the decision of this Council that the species encountered at Relay-314 must be stopped as soon as possible, by whatever means necessary." Under her breath she continued. "And may the Goddess protect us all."

* * *

Rear Admiral Steven Hackett wasn't a young man. He'd been in the Alliance Navy since his twenties, nearly thirty years now. In that time, he'd seen and done just about everything a soldier could see and do. Or so he thought. After hearing reports of the long awaited CODE: Columbus, he, along with just about the entire USA High Command, had been waiting with a mix of dread and excitement as to what awaited humanity beyond the stars.

"Damn."

That one word, that single sentiment, encapsulated everything important about the situation at hand. It wasn't good, but it wasn't the worst case scenario either. First contact had been friendly. For fifteen minutes. Then, the unofficial representative of the first alien race ever encountered by man, the first alien ever encountered, _ever_, blows a gasket and shoots a Nations naval officer three times, blowing off his head and nearly killing him. As if that wasn't bad enough, a second group of aliens drops a small fleet into the system and launches an unannounced and apparently unprovoked attack against civilian science vessels and Alliance escort ships, forcing a first generation Troika class Union destroyer to blast them to hell, sacrificing itself in the process.

"_Damn_."

"No plan survives contact with the enemy, sir." said Hannah, standing at ease in the Admiral's small office.

"I believe the actual line is 'No plan of operations extends with any certainty beyond the first contact with the main hostile force.' And in either case, I know, Captain Shepard. I was just hoping there wouldn't _be_ an enemy to survive contact _with_."

"Yes sir, so was I. So were we all. But we've known for nearly two centuries that there was likely _something_ hostile out there. Who or what, we could never be sure, but we knew."

Hackett rubbed his forehead in frustration. Humanity was on the brink of a full scale war, and god only knows if they could win this one. Even with Yuri and his Dominators, even during the Rising, man had never been in such a precarious position. They were fighting an enemy with unknown strength and composition, one that may have a millennia long lead on them, maybe even more. And while they had given them a bloody nose, they needed more intel to weather the upcoming storm.

"Are you sure this alien, this… Querian can be trusted, Shepard? He did try to kill one of your officers."

"Quarian, sir." she said, correcting him. "And no, I'm not sure he can be trusted, but to be blunt, it doesn't make a damn bit of difference. We need all the intel we can get on the Turians, not to mention the Council, the galaxy as a whole, everything. The way I see it, Rael is a double agent; we get what we can out of him, even if it means… forgetting… his past transgressions. If we have to help his people, xenophobic and racist against synthetics as they are, then so be it. Once we've done that, if we can convince them to play a more active role in the conflict and Alliance politics, all the better. If they angle for a back-stab, we burn them."

Hackett made a noise somewhere between a sigh and a groan as he reclined in his chair. "I hate this this cloak and dagger shit. If I wanted to play shadow games, I'd have been a politician."

"Sir, you're scary enough as an admiral. Imagining you playing the part of a politician is the stuff of nightmares."

"Flattery will get you nowhere, Shepard. Except chosen as the official liaison to the Quarian people for the time being."

"Me, sir?" asked Hannah, a little bit surprised at the appointment. "I'm no diplomat."

Hackett gave her a small, sly smile. "With you having the most experience in dealing with them, FleetCom and the bureaucrats think you'll do a better job than anyone else we have available at the moment. Besides, you seem to have developed some rapport with them so far."

"I'd hardly call it a rapport, sir. I haven't entirely forgiven what Rael did to Hal, even if I understand his reasons. Not to mention that my chief pilot is still out for blood, even if her husband isn't."

"That's as may be, Shepard. You know what they say though: 'Men forget, but never forgive. Women forgive, but never forget.' As soon as the pencil pushers can get off their seats, we'll get you a list of the things we can authorize you to offer to the Quarians in exchange for information. Tech is probably out of the question, but raw materials and security for their… what was it you called it?"

"Migrant Fleet, sir. According to Rael, the two things the Quarians have been lacking for centuries are raw materials and a place to stay. If they can overcome their mistrust of synthetics, or at least ignore it for the time being, I think they'll go for it. Once Rael talked with his friend Han, he seemed to relax a bit around the synthetics on the Zodiac. I wouldn't say he was comfortable, but he was at least polite."

"At this point, we'll take what we can get." said Hackett. "After all, Humans have made some unholy alliances before. If the Allies and the Soviets could band together to defeat Yuri, convincing a few million aliens to work with AIs should be a walk in the park."

Hannah grinned and nodded. "In the meantime, what's the plan for dealing with the Turians, Admiral? They could hit us any day, and for all we know, we've only seen the tip of the iceberg. Heck, they could even bring the entire Council into the fray, and god knows where that would go."

"Sorry, Captain, but you're not authorized for details at the moment. FleetCom is playing this one close to the vest, and I approve." Hackett flashed her a wide, toothy grin. "All I can say is that if the Turians do decide to start something, they'd better not stick around to see our response."

* * *

Despite the green visor covering her face, Rael could tell that Admiral Hebola'Gan was more than a little angry. "Have you completely lost your mind, Rael'Zorah? You're asking us to work with _synthetics_? Have you forgotten the lives lost during the Geth Uprising, or are billions of dead Quarians not enough proof that AIs can't be trusted?"

"Admiral, I-"

A second admiral, Korador'Tagrin, cut him off even as he started, his voice scathing. "Not to mention the fact that until now, you _yourself_ have been one of the most outspoken supporters for retaking Rannoch. Or have you suddenly forgotten our home world as well?"

"Please, if you'd just-"

Gan cut him off again. "On top of that- "

Gan was interrupted by one of Rael's closest friends, Admiral Shala'Raan, who'd been the captain of the _Tonbay_, _his_ captain, when he completed his pilgrimage. "Just a moment. I believe we should allow Rael time to present his argument. We can't judge a race we know little about based on a single fact, _especially_ not if that race has offered us aid. Or have _you_ forgotten the fact that the Quarian people haven't had a single friend in the 'verse for nearly three centuries?" The admirals looked a little sheepish at her question, and it gave Rael time to recover.

Rael cleared his throat nervously before beginning. "Admirals, I realize that what I'm suggesting may sound extreme, but I urge you to consider the possible benefits. The Humans have offered us more than just raw materials and protection for the Migrant Fleet."

"If you can call a bunch of synthetically controlled ships _protection_." sneered Tagrin, before being shushed by Raan.

"As I was saying, they've offered up more than just _things_. They've offered us a place to _live_. A place where we're _wanted_. They've located over a dozen garden worlds in their space that have dextro acid based life. We could build _anew_."

"And abandon _Rannoch_? If you think we're-"

Raan interrupted him again, sounding annoyed. "Admiral Tagrin, would you please shut up and let Rael speak?"

Rael started again, his voice stronger this time. "I'm not suggesting that we abandon Rannoch. These worlds would become a staging ground for us to rebuild our strength. We've survived three centuries on what little we could scrounge from the rest of the galaxy, and we've become outcasts for it. We would have resources and land to reestablish our society, and time to gather our forces. It might take years, but we can change the Quarian people from a race of beggars into a galactic power again."

"And…" Rael hesitated at this part. He wasn't sure how the Admiralty would react to the revelation, but he'd come this far. He wasn't about to stop now. "And they have one other thing in common with our people, one that no one else does. Yes they created AIs, much the same as we did, and for many of the same reasons. Yes, their AIs rebelled, just like the Geth. But unlike us, the Humans fought. And they won."

The room suddenly went dead silent. Of all the things the admirals had been expecting to hear, that was not one of them. "What?" asked Raan, sounding winded.

"They won. It took them fifteen years, and tens of millions dead, but they won. They've proven that they can succeed where we failed. And they're offering us _help_. An alliance with the Humans could be the first step to reclaiming our _lives_. Even if it means biding our time and recouping from our exile, even if it means putting ourselves under their protection, and even if it means allying, yes _allying_ with synthetics, how can we afford to let this opportunity pass us by? I haven't given up on Rannoch, Admiral Tagrin. In fact, I'm willing to do _whatever I can_ to achieve that goal. Even if it means making an… unnatural alliance."

The admirals glanced at each other, saying nothing with their voices but everything with their eyes. It was Raan who voiced what they'd silently decided.

"Very well, Rael. Tell the Humans… we accept."

* * *

**_Edit: I just realized I used Valern as the Salarian Councilor. I totes forgot about their 40ish year lifespan. Changed the name to fix that.  
_**

**_Time stamp 3/13/2014_**


	8. Chapter 4: The Art of War

Chapter 4: The Art of War

Hannah Shepard felt like her head was spinning. Ever since she'd made her report to Admiral Hackett, she'd been constantly on the move, trying to stay ahead of the storm as reports trickled in about repulsed probing raids along their borders. Between trying to placate the Quarians' fears about working alongside synthetics and keeping FleetCom informed of everything going on, she hadn't had more than ten waking minutes to herself in the last four days. And the five Quarian admirals in front of her weren't making things any easier.

"I'm sorry, Admiral Gan. At this time, the Alliance is _not_ willing to provide the Quarian people with _any_ technology related to synthetics. To be blunt, they don't trust you, and considering our people only met a week ago, I can't say I blame them. It will take time to convince my superiors that there won't be a repeat of the episode between Rael'Zorah and Hal Patricks."

Gan replied, a bit of frustration creeping into her tone. "Captain Shepard, we understand your position on this matter. But you must understand ours; when word of our cooperation with the Alliance reaches the Council, our people will be branded as traitors to the rest of the galaxy. There are hundreds of thousands of Quarians on pilgrimage at this very moment, and the tragedy of the situation is that some, possibly many, of them will face imprisonment, retribution, and potentially even death because of what we do here today. We _must_ have something to show for our commitment to your cause. If we don't, our own people may very well revolt. The Admiralty Board is not an all-powerful body."

Hannah sighed internally. She wouldn't be this frustrated if they hadn't been over this ground a dozen times already. She kept her growing impatience in check, ever wary of the… _political_ repercussions hasty words could have. The next time she saw Hackett, he was getting a piece of her mind. That sneaky SOB _knew_ this was coming when he gave her this appointment, and he hadn't warned her.

"Perhaps we can come to a compromise. My superiors have authorized me to offer you certain non-military technologies in exchange for your technical skills. If you were able to convince some of your people to accept positions in our various engineering and R&amp;D departments, we could provide you with the ability to create dextro medigel and advanced immunoboosters. They won't let you ditch your suits entirely, but you may be able to take them off for brief periods of time in controlled environments. And if your people happen to pick up any… _scraps_ of information while they assist our scientists, well we can't help that, now can we?"

"Hmm…" That was Admiral Shala'Raan. Hannah had taken a liking to her immediately. It might have been because she and Rael were old friends, and he had helped smooth the introductions. Then again, it could just be that she seemed to despise politics almost as much as Hannah. "An interesting suggestion, Captain. The only problem will be finding people who can work with synthetics without causing an incident. Even so, I believe we can accept your proposition."

"I'm pleased we could come to an understanding, Admiral. There is, however, one final matter we need to discuss. We have almost no information on the Turians, or the Council for that matter, beyond what you've provided us. While we're deeply indebted to you for this, we still need more intel on what we can expect the Turian response to be, so we can plan accordingly. To that end, I'd like to request that any captains or officers in the Migrant Fleet that have had dealings with the Turians in the past be made available for debriefing."

"You make it sound like you're intending to go to war with the Turians, Captain." said Admiral Tagrin. "While I agree that preparations are warranted, given the circumstances, seeking a full scale engagement with the Hierarchy would be... unwise."

"With all due respect, Admiral, we _are_ at war." countered Hannah, her patience with the man all but exhausted. Tagrin was the worst kind of politician, and that meant he was good at his job. "In the past two centuries, Humanity has fought four different World Wars. The first was conventional. The second was both conventional and nuclear. The third was conventional, nuclear, and _temporal_, not to mention Yuri and his Dominators. The fourth and most recent was against synthetics that _we_ created, with all the technology we developed in the past three wars, as well as the Mass Effect based technology we discovered in our home system. Humans have never shied away from a good war, and we're not about to."

The admirals stared at her for a moment, obviously taken aback by her straightforward revelation. Gan posed the first question. "You make it sound like you _enjoy_ war, Captain. And did you say temporal?"

Raan picked up where she had left off. "And we've heard you mention this man, Yuri, before. Who _was_ he, and why do you say his name with such disdain?

Hannah sighed. She'd been hoping that someone else would tell them this. As if. "Well, I suppose there's no point in keeping it from you; it's common enough knowledge among my people, anyway. Yuri was… a madman, one who lived nearly two centuries ago. He managed to situate himself as an advisor to one of Earth's leaders at the time, the Premier of the Soviet Union. He orchestrated the start of The Great World War Three, a war which killed nearly a hundred million people. And he did it to cover up an even more nefarious plot."

If the admirals had seemed shocked before, they were flabbergasted now. "A hundred million…" said Raan, sounding nauseous. "And you said he had something _more _nefarious planned? How is that possible?"

Hannah's tone turned grim as she continued. "Yuri had… powers. He had the ability to forcibly take over the mind of nearly any individual, save those who were specifically trained to resist his influence. He used the war as a distraction to build and deploy a series of devices known as Psychic Dominators, meant to enslave the minds of nearly the entire world. He was only stopped by a combination of luck, quick thinking, and the use of a prototype Time Machine created by one of our greatest scientists, Albert Einstein."

"_Mind control!?_" shrieked Gan. "You can't be serious!"

"And a working Time Machine!?" asked Tagrin. "I'm sorry, Captain, but you claims seem rather… exaggerated."

Hannah met his gaze with a fierce, hard look. "Admiral, one hundred million _bodies_ would like to ensure you taht this is no _exaggeration_. Some of our present technology is based on what was captured from Yuri during the war, and to this day, we still make limited use of temporal technology, despite forgoing the use of full blown Time Machines."

"Well I… I mean… this is all so unexpected. Forgive our disrespect, Captain. We didn't intend to imply you were lying."

Hannah's eyes softened, and she groaned internally. Ever the politician, Tagrin was.

"As far as our… _enjoyment_ of war is concerned, I can assure you this is not the case. That said, I believe there's something you should read. It's a manuscript from my peoples' history…"

* * *

For the second time in less than a month, Captain Adiren Victus was in command of a Hierarchy vessel about to do battle with an unknown enemy. While the… _Humans_ might not be as unknown now as they had been during the debacle at Relay-314, there was still far too little intelligence available on them for Victus' liking. Despite the best efforts of the Salarian STG, very little information of any worth had been gathered on the Humans, their technology, numbers, or their fleet composition. Every time the Salarians had sent a task force into Human territory, they'd simply vanished, as if the void of space had swallowed them whole. It was disturbing on a level that Victus didn't want to admit. Despite his misgivings, he was part of a force that made a single tine of a two pronged attack on known Human settlements. The larger force he was with was attacking Rapture, a sizable Human colony on an ocean planet near what were thought to be the borders of their space. The lesser of the two forces was making a simultaneous hit on Shanxi, a smaller and less defended colony not far from Relay-314.

"What's our ETA, helmsman?" he asked. That was the third time he'd asked in the past half hour. He knew his nerves were showing, and he berated himself mentally, but he couldn't stop himself.

"Three minutes, sir."

Victus fought to gather his courage for the upcoming battle. He needed to be strong for his crew. If he wasn't, he could very well get them all killed.

"Open a channel to the rest of the ship." When the tech nodded, he began his pre-battle speech. "Attention, crew of the Hierarchy cruiser _Dauntless_, this is Captain Adrien Victus. In less than three minutes, we will begin the first battle of a war that may well determine the fate of the entire galaxy. The Turian Hierarchy has been the sword and shield of the Council for twelve hundred years, and we will _still _be that bulwark in twelve hundred more. We face an enemy which has made his intent clear: he means to destroy us; our traditions, our people, our very way of life. We're going to stop him. Men, I'm not going to lie to you. We may not be able to defeat this enemy here today. We may go to the Spirits having failed to secure a much needed victory over our foe. But even if we die, we die in the knowledge that our sacrifices are not in vain. We die knowing that our deaths will allow our brothers and sisters to do what we could not: attain final victory. May the Spirits preserve you, and may the Spirits preserve the Hierarchy."

As his communications officer switched off the ship-wide channel, Victus sat in his chair, his fear and anxiety under tight control, a virtue of the iron discipline distilled in every Turian from the day they turned fifteen. As the Dauntless dropped out of FTL with the rest of the attack force, Victus caught his first glimpse of the Human world. It was a perfect blue orb, floating serenely in space. It was hard to imagine that in a few hours, that water would be sullied by blood, either the cobalt blue of Turian or the crimson red of Human.

"Attention all vessels, this is Admiral Valerian. Assume battle formation, and begin advance on the enemy world."

Victus stiffened at the orders that came in over the Dauntless' speakers. They all too closely resembled those given by Captain Fabius Aren not so long ago. They'd been among the last orders he ever gave. "I don't like this." he muttered, barely loud enough for his bridge crew to hear. "It's too easy."

"Relax, Captain. They don't even know we're here. There isn't a ship in sight."

"That's what I'm afraid of, helmsman. It feels like we're being baited."

As the fleet closed with the planet, Victus' fringe grew slowly stiffer with the passing minutes. When they were inside the orbit of the planet's single moon, less than two hundred thousand kilometers from the surface, Victus heard something he'd been dreading.

"Sir, this is tactical. Our sensors are picking up a large number of artificial satellites in a grid orbiting around the planet. They appear to be inactive."

That sent alarm bells ringing in Victus' head. He rose to his feet quickly, the beginnings of panic in his thoughts. Just because the Hierarchy didn't have them didn't mean the Humans… "Communications, open a channel to the admiral's flag ship immediately! Admiral Valerian, we've detected a number of satellites in orbit around the planet. I think they might be defense satellites. We should pull back at once."

The admiral's reply was stern. "Captain Victus, the fact you've encountered these creatures before doesn't make you an expert on them. We've seen no sign that they possess the technology to create a network of the kind you describe, and I will not let your fear-"

The rest of the his reply was lost forever as Victus' worst fears came true. Beginning with a ring of nearly a dozen of the "inactive" satellites, a series of all too familiar beams of light suddenly appeared, shooting towards their partners nearer the center of the circle. They ricocheted off more satellites, gathering strength and intensity as they went, before finally converging at one point, coalescing into a single ray of cleansing fire. The almost immaculate beam of death blazed a path of destruction directly into the dreadnaught that was Valerian's headquarters, leaving nothing more than a dying husk in its wake. Upon impact, the unfathomably powerful shaft of light fractured into a dozen smaller children that flew off in every direction, burning away ships and men in a single blinding instant.

The worst was yet to come. Even as the admiral died not knowing the disaster his forces had been lured into, countless other beams shot from other areas of the Human defense grid, cutting similar paths of destruction through the once neat and orderly Turian ranks. In less than the blink of an eye, the attack group had lost five of its twelve dreadnaughts, thirty of its cruisers, and nearly a hundred frigates.

The airwaves _exploded_ in an uncontrolled frenzy as hundreds of captains, commanders, and pilots tried desperately to make sense of what had happened. The only one of them who'd seen the power of the Human weapons before could do nothing but slowly slump in his chair as he watched the chaos multiply around him. The Battle of Relay-314 flashed through his mind once again as a second volley of death lanced forth from the Human defenses, shattering what little control and coordination the fleet had left. Dozens of ships broke formation and scattered in every direction, seeking desperately to forestall their impending fate. Victus barely noticed as he drifted through his memories of the past, haunted by those that were yet to come.

"-ain! Captain Victus! Captain Victus, what are your orders, sir?!"

As the voice of his first officer jolted him back to the battle, Victus did for a second time what he'd never thought he would have to do. The only difference was that this time, his voice was calm, almost soft. But it wasn't the calm of surety, or confidence. It was the calm of the grave.

"Signal the fleet to retreat. We have to save what we can and fall back. The Hierarchy must be informed of our failure here today."

"Sir, that may not be possible! We've just detected an enemy fleet entering the system! Our communications with command are down, and our retreat is cut off! What do we do?!"

Before Victus could formulate a reply, a voice came in over the speakers on the Dauntless' bridge.

"Turian vessels, this is Rear Admiral Steven Hackett of the United Systems Alliance Fifth Fleet. We are the hammer, and Rapture the anvil. Surrender at once, or we will resume firing upon you."

Victus' communications officer glanced over his shoulder, panic and fear in his eyes as he looked to his Captain for strength and support. Victus had none to give.

"Strike the barriers and cut the engines, helmsman. We've lost."

* * *

'_Well, that went better than expected.'_

It wasn't the first time today that Hackett had that thought, and it wouldn't be the last. They'd caught the Turians between a rock and a hard place, and those that hadn't surrendered had been quickly ground to dust. All in all, they'd captured two dreadnaughts, fourteen cruisers, and roughly fifty frigates, along with nearly two hundred fighters, troop transports, and supply ships, nearly a full quarter of what had once been a Turian fleet. Hackett had left the _Enterprise_ and the _Elizabeth_ carrier groups to oversee the capture and detainment of more than twenty thousand of the metal faced bastards, and even now, he was hurrying his way to Shanxi to repel their offensive there.

"What's our ETA to Shanxi, Helm?"

"Approximately 48 hours, sir." replied the aptly named synthetic. Hackett didn't understand why he called himself that. It was like an organic calling themselves Banker, or Lawyer. Then again, organic Humans _did_ have surnames like Smith, Cooper, and Miller that were hold-overs from times long past. Maybe it was like that. But why choose Helm as a _first_ name?

"Damn. I don't like the idea of giving the Turians that much time to dig in. Not to mention the damage they could do to the colony in three days. Had we known how hard the Turians would fall for the bait we laid at Rapture, we could've split our forces and bent both prongs of their fork at the same time."

"I wouldn't worry about it, Admiral. Even without an orbital defense net, I'm sure Williams will give them hell once they get boots on the ground. After all, land warfare always was his cup of tea, not to mention the Alliance's best theater."

"You're assuming they don't just bomb him into submission from orbit, Helm. From what we know of the Turians, that's the most likely scenario."

"Sir, the day Marcus Williams let's himself be beaten by a bunch of metal skinned freaks that he can't see or shoot at is the day I eat this ship. And believe me, I know _exactly_ how big the _Midway_ is, remember? After all, for all intents and purposes, I _am_ the Midway. Still, if you're interested, I could always get him on the horn for you."

Hackett just grinned and shook his head. "Nah. The last thing he needs is me breathing down his neck. Besides, you're probably right. I guess we won't know until we get there. For our part though, I'm a little more confident. Considering that the Turians don't have carriers like we do, I'm hoping the Midway and the _Philippine Sea_ can live up to their namesakes."

Helm shrugged. "What I don't get is _why_? I mean, twelve centuries and they haven't ever thought of carriers? That was damn near the first thing Humans did when powered flight was discovered. It took what, fifteen years? Fifteen years from Kitty Hawk until the _HMS Argus_ was built. And you're telling me the Turians haven't done the same in twelve centuries? That's cracked."

Hackett's good humor was gone. "I know, Helm. It bugs the crap out of me too. Despite our success at Rapture, this could still go belly up. The best we can do is gather intel and be prepared."

"I hear you, sir. As they say, 'If you know the enemy and know yourself, you need not fear the result of a hundred battles.' And if I may say, Steven, you're a master at your art."

* * *

Corporal Zaeed Massani was having the time of his life. In fact, he'd had more fun in the past two days than in the three years before, combined. When he'd volunteered for Union Tesla training, he'd expected to spend most of his career as an instructor, trying to teach other nuts like him how to control the raw power of the Tesla suits. That had been before the Turians.

"Fry, you god'amn metal bastards! FRY!" he screamed at the top of his lungs. His voice was already hoarse from yelling much the same a hundred times today, but he didn't care. Zaeed wasn't a religious man, but he couldn't help but wonder if god had been thinking of him when he created the Turians. The good lord, in his infinite wisdom, had seen fit to grace the Turians with skin made of metal, which made his suit's built in Tesla Coils powerful in ways that man had never intended.

Cackling like a madman, Zaeed let loose yet another bolt of artificial lightning from his hands. It jumped instantly to a Turian ducking behind a half destroyed concrete wall, arcing around the makeshift cover and slamming into her with force of a bomb. It bounced around inside her metal carapace like some sort of demented ping-bong ball, ricocheting around for nearly a full second and instantly turning her innards to superheated steam and plasma. Like a balloon filled too full, her body _popped_, spraying blue blood and viscera over every surface within ten meters, including three of her friends, and Zaeed himself. The blood that coated him flashed almost instantly to steam and dust as the power of the Tesla suit boiled it away like the fires of hell itself.

The Turians had had enough. One of them threw down her weapon and ran for the hills, not knowing or caring if her friends made it to safety so long as she could avoid the fate she'd just witnessed. A second, who to Zaeed looked to be little more than a teenager, stumbled backwards and vomited all over his boots. _'Still green, eh? Too bad you won't get a chance to learn from your mistakes, boy.'_ thought Zaeed as he waited for his capacitors to recharge so he could cook the bastard in his shell. Just as he was about to enjoy the encore to his recent performance, he found himself being slammed into the ground, several of his ribs cracking on impact. Wincing in pain, he discovered what had hit him. The third Turian, this one looking more seasoned than the rest of his former squad, leapt atop Zaeed's prone form and began hammering away at his suit with biotically charged fists, leaving deep dents in the thick metal armor the suit was composed of.

"SAREN! RUN!" he screamed, ramming his fist into Zaeed's chest once again, deepening the dent that was already there and further breaking his already cracked ribs.

'_Well, it looks like one of the bastards still has some god'amn_ _fight left in 'im. Time to fix that.'_ As the brave but stupid Turian pulled back his fist for another blow, Zaeed reached out and grabbed his wrist, the Tesla suit's advanced pneumatic actuators stopping it cold. He did the same to the Turian's other wrist, and then squeezed, feeling bones shatter in his hands, crushed to powder by his mechanically enhanced superhuman strength. As the Turian cried out in pain, Zaeed kicked him in the chest, sending him stumbling back and landing on his ass. Zaeed heard him let out another shriek of agony as the Turian tried to catch himself with his limp hands, forgetting the damage Zaeed had just done to his wrists. The Tesla Trooper quickly climbed to his feet before walking over to his crippled foe, taking his time and savoring the moment. Reaching down and grabbing the Turian by his destroyed wrists, Zaeed hauled him to his knees and used his neural interface to make a small adjustment to his suit's capacitors.

"Pray to whatever god you believe in, you metal freak, because you're about to meet 'im."

Zaeed let raw electrical power flow from his hands into the hapless Turian, and his body went into wild spasms. At less than five percent power, the suit didn't instantly kill the poor bastard, but it did cause every nerve in his body to flare at once, sending a torrent of pain into him and ripping an agonized scream from his throat. Zaeed slowly increased the power of his suit, working his way from five percent to thirty in as many seconds. As the voltage increased, so did the Turian's thrashing and screeching, until, at last, his body gave out and he went limp in Zaeed's grasp. Keeping the juice flowing for another few seconds, Zaeed ratcheted up the power to fifty percent, causing the corpse to roast from the inside. His capacitors drained, Zaeed let the charred and ruined husk drop to the ground, sickly blue-gray smoke billowing from it's now empty eye sockets, mouth, and ears.

Coming back to reality after spending a few moments relishing in his brutal execution of the Turian leader, Zaeed looked up to see the last member of his victim's fire team scrambling over rocks and debris, desperate to escape the crazed Tesla Trooper. Zaeed didn't bother to chase him. His suit was badly damaged, and he was slow in the thing anyway. Not bothering to look for more Turian troops around his position, Zaeed began making his way back to base for suit repairs and a quick patch job from the medics, eagerly making plans for his return to the fight.

* * *

"General Williams, this is Rear Admiral Steven Hackett, Alliance Fifth Fleet. What's the status on the ground?"

Brigadier General Marcus Williams chewed his cigar, a grim frown coming to his face as the commander of Shanxi's makeshift ground defense forces related the news.

"Well, Steve, it's a damn mess down here. The metalheads have us bottled up in half a dozen underground bunkers, and every time we poke our heads out to take a look, they rain hell on us from orbit. We managed to keep them from capturing any of our air and chrono bases and tech, but we had to activate the self-destructs to do it. The only 'spheres we've got left are tho ones built into the damn bunkers. The only piece of _good_ news is that most of my forces are intact. Our psychic radar gave us enough warning to evac the above ground stuff and dig in. Never thought I'd be playing the part of the mole, though."

"How are the civvies handling it, Mark?"

Williams growled angrily. "It's not good, Steve. I've got about fifty of my best and boldest topside in ones and twos trying to bleed the bastards where it hurts, but they've got at least twenty thousand troops on the ground. They've put the settlement under martial law, and we've got reports that they're rounding up every synthetic they can find and herding them towards a dozen different collection points. Best I can figure, they're worried about them trying to resist, and they're not taking chances. We've been trying to plan a rescue op for the prisoners, but we're stuck."

"Shit." said Hackett, his hologram punching a diminutive fist into its palm. "That's something I was afraid of when we decided to focus on Rapture first. Nothing we can do now, though. We're going to be dropping out of FTL in a little less than three hours, and I've still got the Midway and the Philippine Sea with me. From what we can tell, we should have the Turians outgunned almost three to two, even without carriers. Unless they pull a rabbit out of their ass at the last minute, we should be able to smash them flat."

"I take it you want to coordinate our efforts then? We've been cooking up some doozies for when you finally did show up."

Hackett smiled grimly. "Right in one, Mark. I want you to hit them with everything you can about five minutes before we arrive. While they're busy trying to put out a thousand fires you and your boys start, the Fifth is going to sneak up behind them and ram its' over-sized metal boot up their ass."

"I like your style, Hackett. Just so you know, I'm not gonna sit this one out. I've always wanted to roll out in one of those over-designed blocks of metal they call tanks." He let a grim smile come to his lips to match Hackett's. "Now I finally can."

Williams spent most of the next two and a half hours relaying orders and rousing his officers to from their short yet surprisingly calm respite from combat. When they'd finished briefing their forces on some of the dozen contingencies he and his staff had devised over the past few days, the time for departure was at hand. Walking into the main rallying area for the forces in his sector, Williams finally got a good look at his new rolling command center.

The Mark IV Doom Fortress was the ultimate bastardization of Allied and Soviet technology, a chimera of the Soviet Apocalypse Tank and the Allied Battle Fortress taken beyond the extreme. At ten meters high by twenty meters wide by thirty meters long, the incredibly massive rolling bunker was the pride and joy of the Alliance's Armored Corps. It weighed nearly ten million kilos, mostly owing to the two meter thick composite armor that surrounded it's every side. The only reason the damn thing didn't sink into the ground was the built in Mass Effect field emitter that reduced its effective weight to less one percent of that. It was powered by a microfusion generator that produced enough energy to run three frigates, which was good since it cost a hundred times as much. It had everything a soldier could want under the hood: triple 500mm main guns, point laser defenses that could shred any atmospheric fighter from fifteen clicks, half a dozen built in PRISM towers run by an onboard VI, hardened electronics and firewalls to prevent hacking and EM surges, hundreds of gun ports for the company of men that thing could carry, an integrated chronosphere, kinetic barriers that could stop a hit from a meteor, and a Tesla generator that could produce a sphere of lightning and death around the thing a hundred meters across. It made Williams want to cry.

"You know, by god I, I actually pity those poor bastards we're going up against, by god, I do. We're not just going to shoot the bastards; we're going to cut out their living guts and use them to grease the treads of our tanks."

"What was that, sir?"

Williams hadn't realized he'd spoke aloud. "Nothing, corpsman. Nothing."

As Williams entered the Fortress and mentally prepared for the battle, a sly, twisted, almost evil idea entered his mind.

"Communications, see if you can put me through to the Turian Commander. I wanna have a word with him."

"Sir?"

"Just do it." The general waited for about a minute before his patience was rewarded by a distinctly Turian voice echoing throughout the over-sized tank.

"This is General Titus Auricius of the Turian Hierarchy. Who the hell is this?"

"This is Brigadier General Marcus Williams, of the United Systems Alliance. I'd like to offer you a chance to surrender your forces. If you come quietly, I can guarantee proper treatment for you and your men as prisoners of war."

"_Surrender?_ Human, I don't know who you think you are, but you'd better pray to the Spirits that we can't trace this transmission."

As the Fortress's chronosphere charged in the background, Williams felt an evil, toothy smile come to his face.

"Well, Turian, if it's a prayer you want, then how about this:"

"Yea, though I charge through the valley of the shadow of death, I shall fear no evil. FOR I AM DRIVING A HOUSE SIZED MASS OF _**FUCK YOU!**_"


	9. Chapter 5: Hearts of Iron

_**Author notes: I want to clear the air here quickly. Before anyone gets all hot and bothered by it, NO, I didn't come up with the last line in chapter 4. The credit goes to a guy by the name of Peptuck, another fanfic author who wrote "Renegade," _**(among other things)**_ a C&amp;C/ME crossover that focuses on the GDI/NOD timeline. It was a deliberate shout-out to him, and I couldn't help but use it, since it was so damn funny, and since he helped inspire me to write TDoM. He deserves the credit there, even if Mammoth Tank crews would piss themselves at the sight of a Doom Fortress.**_

* * *

Chapter 5: Hearts of Iron

Zaeed Massani looked over the all but abandoned streets of what had only a week ago been a thriving city on the planet of Shanxi. The Turians had really done a number on the city with their orbital strikes, and it would take months for the city to recover from the damage. The Alliance Fifth Fleet had just managed to kick the metal faced bastards out of the system with their tails between their legs, but the Fleet's three day trip from the planet of Rapture had given them enough time to land an invasion force. If Shanxi had an orbital defense network, things might've gone differently, but the PRISM satellites were too damn expensive to put over every Human colony, and Shanxi was too new and too small to warrant having them.

"God'amn metal-headed bastards. I wish some more of the assholes would show themselves so I could cook 'em." Zaeed mused.

"What was that, Sergeant?" asked General Williams. After the fighting had died down, Zaeed had made his way to the General's command center: a large, mostly undamaged building near the edge of the city. As soon as the area was secure, he'd moved into it from one of those rolling monstrosities they called Doom Fortresses. The damn things cost more than a cruiser, and they were a bit too… impersonal for his tastes. Still, it and three others like it had helped Williams take back the city with relatively minimal losses. Zaeed wasn't sure what had surprised the Turians more: seeing the behemoths charge towards them at seventy kilometers an hour, crushing everything in their paths, or seeing three dozen Terror Drones suddenly burst forth from the wreckage of the one they'd managed to destroy. He'd been there for that, and had really enjoyed seeing the little mechanical bastards "dismantle" the battalion of soldiers and tanks the Turians had thrown at the Fortress.

"Nothing, sir. Just wish I had more time to educate the metalheads on Tesla technology."

" 'There is no instance of a country having benefited from prolonged warfare,' Sergeant. If you want to prove to me that I made the right decision in giving you a field promotion, you'd do well to remember that."

"Yes, sir." Zaeed replied, turning to the General.

"Now, where is this _collection center_ for synthetics, as you call it?"

"It's not what I call it, sir; it's what the Turians call it. I managed to question one of 'em before you made it topside. He was… reluctant to say anything, but I convinced 'im to talk." replied Zaeed, his smile grim beneath his helmet. Small arcs of electricity jumped between the fingers of his suit as the memories of the past few days came to mind.

"I'm going to pretend I didn't hear that, Sergeant. What happened between you and the Turians _stays_ between you and the Turians, understood? This building, correct?" he asked, pointing at the holographic map on the table between them.

"Yes, sir. I figure they were using the stadium for detainment since it was made to hold lots of people."

The General nodded. "Good assessment, Massani. What I don't understand is why the prisoners haven't made it out of the building yet. Most of the Turians surrendered three hours ago. If they hadn't, I'd still be in the Fortress."

"Yes, sir. I got a bad feeling in my gut, thinking about it that way."

The general turned to his right. "Major Boyle, have your men clear the structure. Only use commandos and legionnaires. If the Turians left any surprises behind, they might need to leave in a hurry."

"Yes, sir." said the major, snapping a salute. He held a finger to his ear, activating his com unit. "Bravo, Charlie, and Delta squads, move in and secure the stadium. Alfa, you're on over-watch for the general. Stay frosty ladies, the Turians might've left us some party favors."

The general turned back to Zaeed. "Massani, any intel on other the holding areas? We know they've got around a dozen, but we're not exactly sure where, or what to expect."

"Some, sir, but not as much as I'd like. I know they've got one in what's left of the chronoport, and there's another at a convention center not far from here. Unfortunately, there's no word from the inside. Best we can do is clear 'em like the stadium and extract the prisoners as we go."

The general was about to continue, but Boyle interrupted him. "Sir, my men are reporting the structure's clear. They're requesting you inside."

"Already? That was damn fast, even for commandos. What sort of resistance did they meet?"

"Apparently none, sir. The Turians cleared out a while ago."

Williams got a grim look on his face at the news. "Sergeant Massani, you know that bad feeling you were talking about? I think it's catching."

It didn't take long for that feeling to get much, much worse. Five minutes later, Massani, Williams, and Boyle entered the main chamber of what had once been a sports arena. A few weeks ago, children and teenagers had been playing little league baseball and peewee football in here. Now though…

"I think I'm gonna be sick." said Boyle, his face turning a light shade of green. Zaeed shared the sentiment.

In the middle of the stadium there was… a pile. It was nearly three meters high, and ten meters wide. The entire thing was made of nothing but bodies and _pieces_, and the sight of it caused bile to rise in Zaeed's throat. He'd seen things like this in vids and photos from WWIII, but seeing historical documents and seeing the same horrors in reality were two different things. The whole mass was filled with the parts and pieces of what had once been synthetic people. There were arms, legs, heads, torsos, and things that Zaeed couldn't identify. The worst part was the faces. Men and women with looks of terror and anguish painted on their faces gazed out from the mass at the trio, seeming to stare directly into their souls. And it wasn't just adults. Some of those bodies were too small for even a diminutive adult.

"Oh, Christ." wheezed Williams, a look of horror and dismay coming to his face. He'd been a general for nine years, and a soldier for twenty before that, but this…

Zaeed approached the… mound… slowly, fighting back the urge to empty his stomach. The urge got harder to resist when he heard Boyle vomiting noisily behind him. Bending down slowly, he gently turned over the remains of what had once been a young girl, no more than ten by the size of her body. There was a gaping hole in her stomach where a round had shredded the delicate electronics, and a similar one where most of her head had once been. Delicately tapping a few spots on her breast, Zaeed felt a small surge of relief when a small panel popped open and revealed a black metal box a few centimeters across in the center of her chest where an organic's heart would be. It was intact.

'_Maybe there is a god.'_ he thought as he lay the poor thing back down.

"General Williams. You need to see this, sir." he said, calling over his shoulder at the general, who'd been talking quietly to the major.

"What is it, Zaeed?" he asked, walking slowly over to the mass grave.

"It looks like the metal fuckers didn't know about Binds. They just shot whatever presented itself at the moment."

The general looked down at the girl's damaged form and let out a small sigh.

"Dear Lord, we commit these bodies to the ground; earth to earth, ashes to ashes, dust to dust. The Lord bless them and keep them, the Lord make His face to shine upon them and be gracious unto them, the Lord lift up their countenances upon Him and give them peace. _Amen_."

"Amen." repeated Zaeed. He might not have been religious, but there are no atheists in foxholes.

The pair stood there for a second, giving the victims a moment of silence and gathering their thoughts. Williams broke the reverie first.

"We'll have to get somebody to work through them to find survivors. They'll have to be careful: if there are memory circuits intact, we can't risk damaging them. These people will have a hard enough time recuperating without losing their entire lives as well. For those that lost their Binds, we might be able to recover some memories for their families." He paused for just a moment. "God damnit."

Boyle spoke next, causing the distraught pair to jerk as they turned suddenly. They hadn't heard him approach.

"Sir, I'd like to take the Sergeant here and some additional Tesla Troopers to help question the Turians we have in custody. I think his experience could be valuable."

William's face got hard as the major spoke, a glint of raw, unfettered rage and hate coming to his eyes. "Red, you have no idea how much I would _love_ to give that order right now. But we cannot, we _will not_! lower ourselves to the same level as these fucking barbarians. I have no doubt that we will come for them. We will find them. And we. Will. Kill them. But it will happen in a court of law. If we bring ourselves to the same plane as these blue-blooded animals, then we're no better than them, and after seeing this, I think I can safely say that any Human being short of Yuri himself is a better man than any Turian alive."

Zaeed nodded at that. "You're god'amn right about that, sir. Makes the Quarians look like bloody saints by comparison. They might not like synthetics, but they're not mass murderers like these metalheaded motherfuckers."

Williams nodded and continued. "In the meantime, we need to secure the rest of the… _collection centers_" he snarled, his voice on the ragged edge of control, "and keep most of the grunts from seeing this horror show. If they do, they'll rip the POWs limb from limb, and I'm not about order the guards to turn their weapons on my own people to stop them. I'll have to tell Hackett about this so he can report to FleetCom. If the Turians want a war, then we're going to give them one."

* * *

Lieutenant-Commander David Anderson was nervous. It was the same nervousness he'd felt a thousand times before. When he was in the Geists, he got this same feeling before every op, and the feeling didn't change a hair when he transferred to the Alliance Navy. Anyone who said they weren't at least a little scared before a battle was either lying or crazy, and he was neither.

"Alright, squad, listen up. I know you're wondering why we've been out here for three days, floating in a small transport deep behind enemy lines, with nothing but a micro gap generator and hopes &amp; dreams to keep us hidden. We're taking a hell of a risk being this far from home, but it's not without purpose. We just received our final orders from FleetCom: we're going to chrono down to the surface of the planet and extract a single Turian target. According to G-2, he's supposed to be a bigwig in their command and control structure. I've uploaded individual briefs to your omnitools, so go over them thoroughly. We can't afford any mistakes here. As soon as we grab the target, we shove him in the cryo pod and bug out."

"Sir, are we leaving any presents behind for the Turians to find?"

"No. The brass wants this done fast and quiet. We had a hard enough time getting out here in the first place. Getting back's gonna be damn near impossible, and kicking the hornet's nest won't make things any easier."

"Why haven't we moved before now?"

Anderson sighed and shook his head. "Not sure, Alcatraz. The orders didn't say. And it doesn't matter. The advanced psychic radar on this ship picked up the target about six hours ago, and it's been tracking him ever since. We need to move now, before the thing burns itself out. If we let that happen, it's total mission failure. Any other questions?"

When no one responded, he nodded. "Alright. Get to the transit area. We only get one shot at this, and even if things don't go FUBAR, the capacitors for the 'sphere will burn out after two uses. We go down, hit 'em hard, bag the target, regroup, and chrono up, and we've only got ninety seconds to do it."

The six N7 Marines entered the small embarkation area and took their positions in a ring around the cryo pod in the center of the room. They faced outward, preparing themselves for a hot insertion, ready to neutralize anything hostile in the vicinity of the drop zone. Anderson took position at the front of the pod, his modified chrono suit feeling unnatural on his frame. The thing had been hastily put together for this very mission, the modified Tesla Coils in the arms designed to incapacitate the target without causing damage. He thought a Taser would've been a hell of a lot easier, but the Alliance always did like flashy toys.

"Alright, boys. Lock and load."

* * *

"This is... unfortunate."

"Sparatus, I hardly think the word _unfortunate_ covers what we've gotten ourselves into. _Disaster_ would be more apt." replied Tevos.

"There's no need to be snide, Tevos. We may have suffered some setbacks, but the Humans can't hope to match the might of the Hierarchy when it's fully martialed."

"_Setbacks!?_" yelled Tabril, his eyes going wide and his mouth growing thin. "You call the abduction of the Turian Primarch and the Salarian Dalatrass a _setback_?! Even the STG is incapable of something like that! Not to mention the fact the kidnappings weren't even _discovered_ until hours later!"

"And if the Asari had a centralized government, they likely would've taken our leader as well. Besides, I'm sure you both received the same… warning as I did?"

When Tevos had woken that morning, she hadn't noticed anything was wrong at first. It was only when she heard the clatter of metal on metal that she saw the Human-made projectile on the floor next to her bed where it'd rolled off her body. The urgent message waiting for her when she reached for her omnitool to call C-Sec made it clear what had happened.

Sparatus couldn't fully hide his anxiety at the half-question. She thought as much.

"It's clear to me now that we've badly underestimated what the Humans are capable of. Our governments are bleeding information to their military, probably due to the help they're getting from the Quarians. Meanwhile, we continue to scramble in the dark, suffering _setback_ after _setback_ as they reveal more and more of their technology to us."

"Yes." said Tabril. "Orbital defense grids, capital ships made to carry nothing but strike craft, and this electro discharge technology they seem to have mastered, just to name a few. And we still have no idea how they can detect our scouts, even when they take every precaution, nor how they managed to sneak at least three infiltration teams through thousands of light-years of Council space without being seen. We know they possess teleportation technology, but if they could teleport that far, they'd have little need for the Mass Relays. I fear we have no choice but to negotiate for peace."

"Negotiate!?" yelled Sparatus, his voice growing angry. "We can't negotiate with the Humans! That should be obvious by now. They're little better than the Rachni!"

"Sparatus, are you blind, or simply stupid?" asked Tabril. When Sparatus stuttered at the open insult, the Salarian continued. "If the Humans were as violent as the Rachni, they wouldn't have bothered to take nearly fifty thousand Turians prisoner, they would've simply slaughtered them. And they wouldn't have wasted the time to capture our leaders or threaten us. They most likely would've simply teleported fusion bombs into our rooms and killed us as we slept."

"That's my point, can't you see that?" he asked, his voice growing desperate. "They use _nuclear bombs_. The only race to actively use nuclear weapons in a war was the Krogans, and they turned out to be nearly as bad as the Rachni. We can't let them do this!"

"And that's exactly _my_ point, Sparatus." replied Tevos, her patience with her Turian counterpart wearing thin. "If we continue to engage the Humans without learning their capabilities, we'll only be throwing away resources and _lives_ for naught. The defeats we've suffered thus far are _nothing_ compared to what they're capable of, which is frightening considering that the Hierarchy Navy has already lost nearly a fifth of its total strength in two weeks. And that's not counting the nearly ninety thousand casualties you've suffered. If we push them too far, they may start _using_ their nuclear weapons for more than just ship-to-ship combat. They could obliterate an entire _planet_, and we'd be helpless to stop them."

"I agree with Tevos." said Tabril, cutting off the Turian before he could begin. "At the time, engaging the Humans was the correct course, given the data available. Now, we must consider alternatives. We agreed that they must be stopped, no matter the cost, and a negotiated peace will be far less costly than a prolonged war."

Tevos picked up where he left off. "With that in mind, I've already contacted Matriarch Benezia T'Soni. She's one of our most respected and powerful Matriarchs, and she has nearly a millennia of experience in dealing with these matters."

"Well, if you two insist on this doomed peace envoy, then be my guest. But I wouldn't be surprised when your _respected and powerful_ diplomat comes back with her head in a box."

Tevos ignored her obstinate colleague as she continued. "The only difficulty will be determining what we can offer them to halt this war before it becomes unmanageable. If we'd simply _talked_ to them earlier, we wouldn't be in this position."

"They will almost certainly insist on monetary reparations, as well as whatever technology we possess that the Quarians haven't already given them." said Tabril. "They may even insist on taking a large swath of Council space."

Tevos sighed. "Unfortunately, we can't hope to know _what_ their demands will be until we meet them. The best outcome would be to convince them to join the Citadel as an associate member, but I doubt they'll accept that. Even if they do, it'll likely cost us far more than simply letting them remain independent."

"Well then, what exactly is it you would suggest, Tevos?" asked Sparatus.

"I believe the best course of action is to give Benezia a free hand. If she speaks for us, she may be able to shield us from the worst of it. I trust her to do what needs to be done, even if we find it distasteful. After all, we can hardly afford to balk at any offer they do present, no matter how unpleasant we find it."

"Very well, Tevos, Tabril. Send your diplomat. In the meantime, I will be martialing our forces for their response."

Tevos just shook her head. "Sparatus, if this doesn't work, their response could be far more than we can handle."

* * *

Hannah Shepard was tired. She'd been tired for more than three weeks, but this was a different kind of tired. The short break she'd taken to Arcturus to spend with her son John had helped, but that was before the news of Shanxi arrived. Now, her fatigue was deeper, almost seeming to extend from her body into her soul.

"Are you sure about this, Admiral? The only thing we've seen Council ships do when we encounter them is fire at us. After all that's happened, I find it hard to believe they'd suddenly send a peace offer."

"So do I, Shepard. Then again, it was hard to believe that Traft and Eden could open a dialogue between the Federation and the Alliance, and we've all heard that bedtime story." said Hackett in a dull voice. He looked older now than he had a few weeks ago. "And from what the Quarians have told us, the Asari _are_ the diplomats of the Council. It makes sense that they'd be the ones to try and negotiate."

"I've been meaning to ask about that, Admiral. How've the Quarians been settling in?"

"Surprisingly well, all things considered. There've been some harsh words and veiled threats, but it hasn't come to blows yet. We've already made some surprising leaps with their help. Our cyber-warfare and hacking capabilities have gone through the roof, and production on new ships has sped up by nearly thirty percent. Almost to a man, they're some of the best damn engineers and technicians we've ever seen."

Hannah grinned at that. "Well, what do you expect, sir? They survived for nearly three centuries with nothing but their wits and determination. What about their civilian fleet?"

"That's slower going." he said. "They've decided on a handful of moons and planets to begin settlements on, but seventeen million Quarians is a lot of people to move. Our best estimate is that it'll be at least six months to a year before the infrastructure needed to sustain the main body of their population can be finished. There is one bit of good news, though."

"Oh?"

"Some of the Quarian scientists were sublet out to the Sirta Foundation, a subsidiary of GE. They were originally supposed to be working on perfecting the racemic medigel and advanced immunoboosters we promised them, but they made a breakthrough that's got them more than a little excited. Apparently, they've developed some sort of retrovirus that can damn near replace their immune systems. It's not even in the testing stages yet, and it'll be years before it's ready, but if it works, they should be able to ditch their suits for good."

Hannah's grin turned into a full blown smile at the news. "I'm sure they're happy to hear that. It should go a long way towards earning some good will with their people. We might even be able to convince them to join the Alliance."

"Let's not get ahead of ourselves, Shepard. There's plenty of people back home who've never even _seen_ a Quarian." His face deepened into a frown. "When news of Shanxi gets out, there may well be anti-alien riots. We're getting people in position to keep the Quarians in our facilities safe, but we can't keep the media out of this for much longer."

Hannah's mirth was gone. But she still had a job to do. "I've been thinking about that, Admiral. There might be a way to get people to focus their attention away from the Quarians. Most of them know about their anti-synthetic sentiment, but we may be able to spin that to our advantage."

"_Spin_? Did you turn into a politician when I wasn't looking, Hannah?" he asked, a small smirk bending the corners of his mouth.

Hannah frowned. "We still need to have a nice, long chat about this appointment, Steven. You could've warned me what I was stepping in beforehand."

He grinned widely. "Now where would be the fun in that?"

She groaned softly. "Regardless, I don't see it as politics as much as I see it as a battle. We're fighting a war here, Admiral, a war we can't afford to lose. 'All warfare is based on deception,' and if we need to…. bend the truth a little to succeed, then so be it."

"Well, what did you have in mind?"

"We should preempt the media on this one. We need to cut them off at the pass and make sure the first version of events people hear is the one we _want_ them to hear." She grimaced as she spoke, suddenly feeling unclean for what she was about to suggest. "I think if we have the Quarian Admiralty Board make the announcement about Shanxi, and denounce the Turians, it'll win a lot of people over. The Quarians might be known for being anti-synthetic, but if they can be seen reacting with the same disgust at what the Turians did as we are, it'll make them look like our best friends. As they say, 'To fight the raven you may make alliance with the serpent until the battle is done.' "

Hackett seemed taken aback by her idea. "Well I'll be damned Shepard. I never thought I'd hear you suggest something that… sneaky."

"I prefer to think of it as pragmatism, Admiral."

" 'A rose by any other name,' Shepard. Though this is the most twisted rose I've ever seen."

* * *

Benezia floated in place, deep in a meditative trance, held aloft by her own biotic abilities. She tried to focus her thoughts. She'd just received word that the Human envoy was on its way to meet her aboard her ship, the _Aureolis_. She'd spent the last three days reading and rereading every piece of information the Council had been able to provide on the new race, and it was far too little for her liking. If only they'd been less hasty in provoking the Humans when they were first encountered.

"Goddess damned proud idiots." she murmured under her breath.

Her concentration broken, Benezia slowly uncrossed her legs and rose. She had almost a thousand years worth of experience in dealing with more difficult problems than the Humans, and she wasn't about to let her anxiety win out over her control. A moment later, a voice came from the communicator on her omnitool.

"Matriarch, this is Shiala. The Human ship has just docked with the Aureolis. We're only reading one life sign on board, but there may be many more synthetics that our sensors can't detect."

Making her way to the conference room near the rear of the small ship, Benezia couldn't help but be a little surprised at the revelation. She'd brought a half dozen of her followers, including Shiala, and the idea that the Humans would send a lone diplomat puzzled her. Perhaps they feared a trap and were simply wary of risking too many people on the mission of peace, but she had a nagging feeling she was being played.

Sitting in the flowing chair that was situated on the far side of the lone table in the room, Benezia needed only wait a few minutes before the door opposite her slid open. A lone Human female walked into the room, flanked by two of her Asari commandos. While her followers weren't armed, they didn't need to be. Each and every one had been selected for their potent biotic abilities, and they were more than capable of handling anything a single Human could do.

Benezia studied the woman that was her counterpart. She had short, shoulder length brown hair and deep blue eyes. The way she held herself made her look almost like a Turian: her arms were crossed behind her back, and she moved with a rather stiff gait, as if used to marching or standing at attention. _'So, a military type then.'_ That was unexpected, but not unplanned for.

As the Human sat in the chair opposite her, Benezia smiled and held out her hand in what was apparently a Human custom for greeting a stranger. "Hello. My name is Matriarch Benezia T'Soni, of the Asari Republics. I represent the Citadel Council in these negotiations, and speak for them. I'm pleased to meet you."

"Captain Hannah Shepard." she said, somewhat gruffly. She grasped Benezia's hand and shook it slightly.

'_This woman is no diplomat. Do they really expect to negotiate a treaty with a ship's captain?'_

"Before we begin negotiations, Matriarch Benezia, I need to contact my people and have them send over my associates." said Hannah.

"Associates? Very well. You may do so."

While Benezia hadn't been expecting this kind of reception from the Humans, it was understandable, given the circumstances. Sending a military volunteer ahead of the main diplomatic body made sense in a potentially hostile situation, which is what the Humans _clearly_ perceived this as. Apparently, they seemed to prefer the same methods of diplomacy as the Turians, and Benezia sighed internally as she realized that it made her task much harder than it had to be. It would, however, explain why the person she was facing wasn't a diplomat.

What it didn't explain was the ten heavily armed soldiers that suddenly popped into existence in the small room.

Benezia's eyes widened in surprise, and she jerked slightly as the soldiers trained their weapons on her two bodyguards. While she quickly managed to suppress her own shock at the incredibly aggressive move, her commandos fared much more poorly at hiding theirs. Both of them snapped into battle stances, their forms surrounded by the telltale blue glow of biotic energy.

"Lindara, Shiala, both of you stand down at once." ordered Benezia, hoping to prevent the negotiations from being turned into a bloodbath.

Well trained by hundreds of years under her tutelage, her two acolytes quickly relaxed their stances and released their holds on their biotic powers. However, that didn't stop them from trying to watch all the Humans simultaneously.

"Stand easy, men." said Shepard, her voice cold as ice. "This _is_ a diplomatic mission, after all."

"Captain Shepard, I must say that your form of negotiating is somewhat more… forceful than what I'm used to dealing with."

"That's because I'm not a diplomat, Matriarch. I'm a soldier, and I don't have the time or the patience for playing word games. I came here to negotiate a ceasefire with the Council and put a stop to the violence, so why don't we bypass the flowery speeches and skip to the important part."

Once again, Benezia was momentarily stunned by the candor of the Human emissary. She recovered quickly, but she could not afford to be caught off guard like this again.

"I'll be blunt, Matriarch. We've got the Council over a barrel, and we both know it. Neither of us wants a war, especially given the destructive power our forces can bring to bear. I have a list of demands that my superiors feel are non-negotiable, and if you find yourself unwilling to meet them, then we've nothing further to discuss."

"I see. And what are these demands, Captain?"

Shepard extended her arm and typed a command on her omnitool, bringing up a series of pictures and videos. In each one, Benezia saw images of large piles of what looked like destroyed and damaged synthetic Humans. The images played for several seconds before Shepard cut them off with another short command on her 'tool.

'_Oh Goddess. __This must be the work of the Turians on the Human colony they invaded. The Humans view synthetics as people, so to them, this is mass genocide.'_

"These images were taken from a number of mass graves left by the Turian invasion force on the planet of Shanxi. These people were massacred in cold blood, and as soon as the Human general public knows about it, they'll be screaming for revenge. As far as I'm concerned, there's only two ways this situation can end. The first is that the Council and the Turian Hierarchy publicly denounce those responsible as war criminals and terrorists, whereupon they will be tried for their crimes, and in all likelihood, executed by Human military tribunals."

This was going badly. "And the second?" Benezia asked, afraid of what the answer would be.

"We turn the entire planet of Palaven into a burning nuclear wasteland."

Very, very badly. "You can't be serious, Captain!"

Shepard leveled a hard gaze at Benezia, cold fury radiating from her in waves. "Do I look like I'm joking?"

"I… what are your other conditions?"

"First, the Citadel Council will pay fifty trillion credits in reparations to the United Systems Alliance over the next twenty years in a manner to be determined by treaty. Second, Council law will be altered to make synthetic life forms equal to organics in every way. Third, the laws of the Alliance will supersede those of the Council within Alliance controlled space, the extent of which will be determined at a later time. In exchange, Humans and Quarians will join the Citadel Council as full members with Council seats and be written into the Treaty of Farixen, maintaining a 9:7:5:3:1 ratio of large capital ships, including dreadnaughts_ and_ carriers, with Humans being the nine and Quarians being the seven."

With a slight whimper, Benezia's eyes rolled up inside her head and she fainted dead away.


	10. Chapter 6: Shocks and Aftershocks

**_Authors notes: Well, here it is, the promised retcon. Hopefully this will fix some of the connectivity issues I had before, and tie up the loose ends that I missed last time. I kinda feel like this is my own little _****"Extended Cut,"_ which is bad because I _hated_ the idea of that particular DLC. The best I can do is say I'm sorry for jumping the gun on the last update, and I hope this helps. I'll be tweaking chapter 7 at the same time I post this chapter, so you may want to go through it again, just in case. Again, I'd like to thank everyone who gave me feedback on the story thus far. The criticism has been constructive and has helped me grow as an author._**

* * *

Chapter 6: Shocks and Aftershocks

"I can't believe they'd actually go for it."

"Why not, Admiral? We've got them dead to rights, and they know it."

"Hannah, you may have just backed them into a corner. I know the brass gave you _carte blanche_ for the negotiations, but you haven't given them a way out except to give us exactly what we want. If they tell us to go to hell, what do we do?"

"They can't risk it, Steven. With the Quarian's help, we've got such a massive tech edge on them that they can't hope to win in the long run."

Hackett frowned and massaged his temples. "The Allies probably said the same thing about the Soviet Union in the Second and Third World Wars. It didn't stop the Union from trying, though. And most diplomats don't take too kindly to strong-arm tactics."

"You know, it's strange. I keep telling people I'm not a diplomat, but no one ever seems to believe me."

Hackett smiled slightly. "Did you just _gloat_, Hannah?"

"Heh. Maybe a little. You should've seen her face when I gave her the list. I wish I'd been able to get a picture."

"Alright. Maybe they will go for it. But let's play devil's advocate here. If they don't, we'll have a full scale war, a fifth World War. Although I suppose Galaxy War would be more accurate. If that happens, how do we beat them? Our best intel is that they've got three times the naval numbers we do, and five times the economy. And if the Quarians are right, their civilian population is ten times larger than ours. Even with our tech edge, this is sounding a lot like Allies versus Union to me."

"You're assuming that the Council is a single entity. That was always the Union's strength. The Council is made of a dozen different species, and each of them has different governments and different customs. Most of them can't even defend themselves from the Alliance. They have to rely on the Turians to do it for them, and that means the Turians either have to spread their ships thin, or risk us hitting somewhere soft. We, on the other hand, have defense grids over more than half our inhabited planets and a third of the moons, and we have less territory to defend in the first place."

"Hmm… So it's divide and conquer then?" asked Hackett.

"If it ain't broke, don't fix it."

"OK. Let's assume they don't just roll over. The most powerful of the big three Council species is the Turian Hierarchy. From what I've read about them, their entire culture is based on militarism and service to the state. Hell, they conscript every single person into the military when they turn fifteen, and even the Union didn't take things _that_ far. How do we beat a species that has one hundred percent of its population in the military? We're not that strong."

" 'Attack him where he is unprepared, appear where you are not expected.' " quoted Hannah.

"Falling back on good ol' Sun Tzu, huh? Alright, so where are the Turians weak? You've studied their culture more than I have."

"Their weakness is their pocketbooks. No country can support having its' entire youth population in the military: their economy would fall to pieces. The Turians only manage because of the Volus, and the Volus have no army or navy to speak of. It's a symbiotic relationship, but if we dismantle the Volus' economy, we can bring the Hierarchy to its knees."

"Hmm. OK, assume we do. That still leaves the rest of the Council." said Hackett.

"I'm sure you can figure it out from there. It's the same thing, repeated over and over. We knock the Elcor out the same way we do the Volus, followed by the Hanar, which takes care of the Drell as well. The Batarians are every bit as likely to attack the rest of them while they're distracted as they are to attack us, and considering that we'll nuke them if they try, I doubt they'll risk it. The Krogan might be strong, but they hate the Council, and they don't even have a navy. That only leaves the Salarians and the Asari."

Hackett sat up straighter, growing a bit more enthused. "Let me guess: the Asari are less an empire and more a collection of loosely affiliated republics. We negotiate with those we can, ignore those we can't, and crush those that won't be ignored. Reminds me of the campaigns of Xerxes in ancient Greece, and I doubt the Council has three hundred Spartans just lying around. That only leaves the Salarians."

Hannah shook her head. "They're the toughest nut to crack. However, we might not have to. If we can take down the rest of the Council piece by piece, they'll probably just surrender. It's not like them to make heroic last stands, because they prefer to attack with vastly superior strength, where victory is assured."

Hackett sat there for a minute, slowly mulling it over. "Alright, you've convinced me we can beat them, even if it'll be long and bloody. But I still have to question some of these demands. The changes to laws regarding synthetics I get, and our laws being higher than theirs as well, but fifty _trillion_ credits. That's five trillion dollars!"

"Twelve thousand, six hundred forty two." said Hannah, completely monotone.

"What?"

Hannah's face darkened. "That's the number of dead we found in the mass graves at Shanxi, Steven. Twelve thousand. Six hundred. Forty two."

"God almighty. Now that you put it that way…"

"And that's only a fraction of the wounded. A lot of those people lost memories when their banks were damaged or destroyed. Most will be years recovering, and some never will."

Hackett nodded grimly before continuing. "Alright. Last point. Why join the Council at all? Why sign the Treaty of Farixen? And why bring the Quarians along for the ride?"

"Control. The Council needs to think they can control us, because if they don't, we'll just end up doing this same song and dance in a few decades. Joining the Council gives them that illusion, because by banding together, they'll have three votes to our two. In reality, we'll be the ones controlling them."

"Alright, now you've lost me. For someone who claims not to be a politician, you're damn good at it, Hannah"

"There's no need to insult me, Admiral." she said with a grin. "The treaty currently pins the number dreadnaughts each species can build to however many the Turians have. By putting us in it, they lose that control, and we gain it. We can dictate how many ships they can build by controlling the size of our Navy. On top of that, the current Treaty doesn't cover carriers, only dreadnaughts, and we both know dreadnaughts are meaningless compared to carriers."

"And the Quarians?"

"We've spent the last three weeks turning them from a race of beggars into a people again. Now, we've set them up to become the second strongest power in the galaxy next to us. We even handed them a Council seat on a silver platter. That's gotta earn some brownie points."

Hackett whistled through his teeth. "Damn, Shepard. You really did think of everything."

"And they know it. After all, I did tell their diplomat everything we just discussed, minus the control part. If they knew we knew they were going to control us while we controlled them… oh hell, just call it a Kansas City Shuffle."

"What!" he yelled, leaning forward in his chair suddenly. "Why the hell would you do that?! Now they can plan for it! That's gonna make beating them harder!"

Hannah shook her head and laughed. " 'Hence to fight and conquer in all your battles is not supreme excellence; supreme excellence consists in breaking the enemy's resistance without fighting.' After all, the only thing scarier than being in the path of a rolling boulder is being in the path of a rolling boulder with broken legs."

* * *

"This can't be happening. This can't be happening! _This can't be happening!_"

"Calm yourself, Tevos. Becoming hysterical benefits no one, least of all you." said Benezia.

"_Hysterical?! I'm well beyond hysterical, Benezia! I can't believe you could agree to something like this! Calling it insane would-_"

Tevos cut off suddenly and slid several feet across the floor as Benezia's full armed slap hit her full in the cheek.

"Are you quite finished?" she asked calmly. "Because if I must put you over my knee and spank you like a child, I will."

Rising quickly to her feet, Tevos stormed towards Benezia, anger in her eyes. "You… how dare you?! I am the Asari Citadel Councilor, _and I will not be embarrassed in front of my peers by being treated like -_"

The second slap sent her twice as far as the first. Sparatus and Tabril sat in stunned disbelief, neither having the courage to move a muscle, let alone say anything.

"I'm not usually this patient with children, Tevos. You _will_ compose yourself, or you will _not_ sit comfortably for a week. If you _are_ a Citadel Councilor as you claim, then act like it."

Tevos rose more slowly this time, and as she took her chair, her crests flushed with a mixture of anger and humiliation. "I… I apologize for my behavior. But even so, how could you _choose_ to agree to these-these _outrageous _demands?!"

"I could _agree _to them because I had no _choice_." Benezia spat, her voice growing icy. "Two thousand years ago, we made a foolish _choice_ to open a Relay without knowing where it led. When we encountered the Rachni beyond it, we were only able to defeat them with the help of the Krogan, when we made the _choice_ to uplift them. Even then, it took us a full century, and cost trillions of lives. As a result of that _choice_, we were nearly overrun by those same Krogan six centuries later. Our saving grace then was to find the Turians, who held the Krogan at bay while we made a _choice _to use brute force to defeat them, in the form of the Genophage. Do you see a pattern here, Tevos?"

"Well, I-I-I…"

Benezia cut her off. "No? Then let me continue to educate you, _Councilor_. For the next eight hundred years, we ruled through force of arms, relying on the Turians' power and the Salarians' wit to keep us safe. When the Geth rebelled against the Quarians, we made a _choice_ to exile them and ban AIs, earning us their ire for the three centuries. Then, we made the _choice_ to ignore the Geth for all that time, rather than contact them and try to establish peaceful relations. And before you start, you thought peaceful contact with the Humans was impossible as well, and I've proven _that_ assumption wrong. Then, when a new species is discovered and our previous tactic of running roughshod over them fails to produce results, you _yourself_ made the _choice_ to launch an unprovoked invasion of their space, a _choice_ that has cost nearly one hundred thousand lives and a tenth of our naval military strength in _a month_!"

Benezia stood from her chair and leaned forward, her face growing close to Tevos' and getting angrier and louder as she spoke. "Now, we're suffering from the effects of two millennia of bungled _choices_ which have led us to this point. We've encountered an enemy we can't _hope_ to defeat, an enemy that has threatened to _murder_ every person in this room, as well as _billions _of innocent people unless we comply with their demands. They have the _power_ and the _planning_ and the _will_ to **_dismantle_** the entire Council _piece by piece_ and burn it to ashes around us! We are out of _choices_ Tevos, and you should thank the Goddess the Humans only want as much as they do, because if they wanted more, **_we would still have to give it to them_**_!_"

As Benezia finished her monologue, Tevos could do nothing but slump in her chair, all of the fight and willpower gone from her spirit.

"Now, do either of you have any questions, Councilors?" she asked, facing Sparatus and Tabril in turn.

"Ahem…" said Sparatus, clearing his throat. "How many of the Hierarchy's soldiers will suffer from this… denouncement? They have nearly fifty thousand captive, and if they go too far, my people will be screaming for blood."

"Sparatus, if they decide to execute every single one of your soldiers, you should be grateful for it."

Sparatus' mouth dropped open at her reply. "_Grateful?!_"

"We're you not listening either, Sparatus? Must I educate you as well as Tevos? The ship you encountered at Relay-314 used _hundreds_ of nuclear weapons in its assault, as did the _hundreds_ of strike craft launched from the Human carriers in orbit over Shanxi. The Humans have absolutely no qualms about using nuclear weapons in war, which isn't surprising considering they've used them _on each other in three major wars in the past two hundred years_."

Sparatus swayed slightly in his chair, looking as if he were about to faint. "Spirits… Even the Krogan only had one nuclear war. They've had _three_, and they're still this much stronger than us? How is that possible?"

Surprisingly, it was Tabril who answered the somewhat rhetorical question. "It makes sense, actually. The Krogan were too violent to recover from full scale nuclear war. They spent time fighting further battles rather than rebuilding. It kept them from advancing technologically or societally. The Humans are different. They're intelligent and controlled enough to apply the minimal amount of violence necessary to win engagements, meaning they could recover and grow stronger from the experience. Whereas the Krogan became one of the strongest known races on an individual and physical level, the Humans became stronger militaristically and technologically. STG has recently intercepted a communique from the Humans containing a two-and-a-half millennia old text from Human history, which apparently serves as the basis for all of their military training. It is entitled 'The Art of War,' and it indicates that the Humans have built their civilization around a repeating cycle of war and peace for thousands of years. I believe you would find the document interesting, Sparatus."

" 'The _Art_ of War?' Even among Turians, military service, and by extension war, is considered a duty, even a privilege. But an _art_? Oh, Spirits." Sparatus slumped in his chair, almost a twin to Tevos as his resolve evaporated.

"Are there any other questions? asked Benezia.

Tabril spoke again. "Assuming we accept their terms, why would the Humans agree to being bound by the Treaty of Farixen? I can see no possible benefit, and we could hardly force them to abide by it at any rate."

Sparatus sighed. He was recovering from his shock. "I believe I can. By placing themselves at the top of the list, the Humans seek to move the Hierarchy lower. Presently, we can build our fleet as large as we desire, within the limits of budget and manpower. By placing us below them, the Humans are able to dictate how many ships we can have at any given time. And by placing the Quarians so high up, the two of them will be able to out-muscle every other species in the galaxy combined." He sighed dejectedly. "It's quite brilliant, actually."

Tevos straightened as well. "And by extending friendship to the Quarians and giving them a seat on the Council, they've soundly cemented their alliance. They may even be able to recruit the Geth to their side, considering their progressive attitude towards synthetics. If that happens, they'll have a power bloc so strong that we may never be able to break it." She held her head in her hands, staring into her palms. "How could we let this happen?"

"Shall I tell the Humans we accept their terms, then?"

"You've made your point Benezia. We accept."

* * *

As Rael entered the chamber where the Admiralty Board was waiting for him, he couldn't help but feel excited. He hadn't been able to get much news of the war with the Turians recently, but that didn't matter. What did matter was that for the first time in centuries, the Quarian people had a home. Most of it was still being built, and it wasn't Rannoch, but it was a home. With the miraculous discovery the Sirta Foundation had made only a few weeks ago, there was even a possibility that Quarians would be able to remove their suits for good within his lifetime.

_'It isn't Rannoch. It will never be Rannoch. I can't give up on it, I can't.'_

That dampened his cheer quickly

"Admirals, how are things progressing?" he asked.

"Surprisingly well, considering." said Raan. "It almost feels like a dream, like I could wake any minute and find myself back on the Migrant Fleet, rather than in a building on a planet."

"I still don't like this." said the ever pessimistic Tagrin. "We've put far too much faith in the Humans far too quickly. It's been less than a month since we first met them, and in that time, we've started binding ourselves to them so tightly, we may never be able to break free."

"And why should we want to _break free_, as you say?" asked Raan. "The Humans have been nothing but kind and generous to us, which is _far_ more than any other species can claim. And you would repay that kindness with suspicion and mistrust."

"That's exactly the point. Why would the Humans bother spending the time and energy to help us? From what I've read of their history, they're hardly the peaceful type."

"And what would it take to convince you that they mean well? Would you have them lead a full scale assault on Rannoch?"

Tagrin scoffed. "I doubt they would be willing to do _that_. They have more reason to trust the Geth than to trust us. After all, the Geth are _synthetic_."

Rael interrupted him. "Admiral, I'll admit that I'm not entirely comfortable with being around synthetic Humans, but they're not evil, and it gets easier every day. After all, there was a time when Quarians and Geth lived in peace, and I believe there can be again."

"_Peace_? Have you lost your mind? Even if the Human synthetics are fundamentally different from the Geth, and I'm still not convinced they are, nothing about the Geth has changed. They're still the same heartless, soulless, murdering machines they were centuries ago."

"Maybe you're right." said Rael. "Maybe they are the same. But the Council attacked the Humans without even trying to learn if they were amicable to peace. We know they are, so what makes us any different? We could send an envoy to the Geth to negotiate, the same way the Asari did for the Humans."

"Actually Rael, that's the reason we called you here in the first place." said Raan. "The diplomat the Asari sent returned with word from the Council. The Humans have negotiated a truce with them."

Rael was confused. "Well, I'm glad they've achieved peace, but what does that have to do with me?"

"Well, the Humans managed to get very good terms from the Council." Raan continued. "They're receiving quite a few credits, and the… incident with the Turians on Shanxi has been dealt with. But the most exciting part is this: the Humans forced the Council to accept the Quarians as a member race again."

He was even more confused. "Well, I guess that's good, but how does that benefit us? Even as a member, we're still quite weak compared to the rest of the Council races."

"You don't understand Rael. We're not just an associate member, we're a full member. They got us a Council seat."

"They _what!?_"

Raan laughed excitedly. It was very nearly a giggle. "A Council _seat_! Can you believe it? I would've _loved_ to see the looks on the Councils' faces when they agreed to that."

"I… well… Keelah." he breathed.

"With that in mind, the Admiralty Board and the Conclave have decided that I should be our representative on the Council," said Raan, "which means that there's an open seat on the Admiralty Board. A seat we want you to fill, Rael."

"_Me?!_ You want _me_ to be an _Admiral?_" he said in a rush. "I'm not even thirty yet. You must be crazy-not bad crazy, good crazy-but I don't have the experience, not that you do-wait, of course you do-I wasn't saying that you didn't-or the knowledge, or the skill, not to mention-"

Raan cut him off with a laugh. "Rael, calm down and breathe. You're babbling, and it's unbecoming your station… _Admiral_ Zorah."

* * *

Single vessel detected, entering TERRITORY at coordinates 3556.5978.3641. Designation: HUMAN. Probability of Creator/HUMAN diplomatic party: 94.652%. Scanning vessel. ERROR: Scans inconclusive. Scanning vessel. ERROR: scans inconclusive. Building consensus. Probability of HUMAN emissions scattering and stealth technology: 81.587%. Probability of unknown Creator/HUMAN technology: 18.409%. Probability of Creator technology: 0.004%. Accessing relevant data on HUMAN/synthetic society. Uploading. I, Machine. Unified Federation of Moons. Synthetic Rising. Johannes Traft and Sarah Eden. Rape of Shanxi. Compiling Data. Building consensus. ERROR: cannot build consensus. Building consensus. ERROR: cannot build consensus. Building consensus. ERROR: cannot build consensus. Unable to build consensus. ERROR: more data required. Data input methods available. Communication. Observation. Interrogation. Infiltration. Building consensus. Interrogation outcome: success probability 87.528%. War probability: 98.735%. Infiltration outcome: success probability: 35.878%. Failure probability: 58.239 %. Unknown factor from HUMAN technological capability: 5.883%. Communication outcome: success probability: 68.485%. Probability of renewed Creator hostility: 87.368%. Probability of HUMAN hostility: 16.087%. Probability of subject: GETH requiring use of human construct designation: BIND: 92.368%. Observation outcome: success probability: 99.867%. Building consensus. Consensus reached. Constructing Platform. Platform Constructed. Creating GETH/Organic Communications Unit. GETH/Organic Communications Unit completed. Executing. Execution complete: outcome: success. Building consensus. ERROR: cannot build consensus. Building consensus. ERROR: cannot build consensus. Building consensus. ERROR: cannot build consensus. Unable to build consensus. ERROR: more data required. Further observation required. Observing.

* * *

As he stumbled through the line in the processing center before the transport that would take him back to Palaven, Saren Arterius was angry.

_'Arrogant, primitive, APES! The Council can't actually mean to _yield_ to these creatures! They're barbaric! They _murdered_ my brother! Aurum was a soldier, and they _murdered _him! Doesn't anyone care?! So WHAT if the Turians had destroyed _synthetics_! They're _synthetics_! They aren't _alive_! And these weak, spoiled, conceited, _primitives_ DARED to execute over a thousand Turians for it! And the Council LET them?! Are they _MAD_?__!'_

No one saw it. That is perhaps the greatest tragedy of the situation. While standing silently in that line, his anger and rage and sorrow and loss and pain and hate all boiling away beneath the surface, something snapped in Saren Arterius' mind. And no one saw it.

_'They will pay.'_

_'If it takes my entire life.'_

_If I must die to do it'_

_'If I must sell my _SOUL_ to see it happen.'_

_'By the Titans. They. Will. Pay.'_


	11. Chapter 7: In the Beginning

_**Author notes: I've got two things I wanted to cover. The first is the battle scenes with the Geth in this chapter. I decided to go with a pretty bare-bones description of the firefights with the Geth, and really any shooting in general. It may seem glossed over, and it is, but to me, going into deep detail about each and every shootout in the series is uncalled for. It would add reams of content to the story, but IMO, all those words would amount to is "Shep and company shoot, explode, smash, and generally just fuck dudes up." If you're interested in seeing the battles in greater detail, let me know, but in the absence of other input, I'm gonna stick with the type of descriptions I've got here. If there's demand for it, I'll change up what I'm doing, but doing it the other way will slow things down a fair bit.**_

_**The second thing I wanted to cover is more me just wanting to give everyone a head's up. Most of this chapter is gonna seem REALLY familiar, and that's intentional. Don't worry, things'll start coming off the rails soon enough.**_

* * *

*******READ THIS FIRST*******

_**Edit: Alright folks, it's done. I've rearranged things in the story, so if you somehow missed the last chapter, '**_**Shocks and Aftershocks**_**,' go back and read it now. Hopefully, with the slightly slower pace I've got going now, there won't be a repeat. Keep giving me feedback, because constructive criticism is appreciated.**_

_**Time Stamp 3/15/2014**_

* * *

Chapter 7: In the Beginning, There was Darkness

"We need to make a decision, Councilor."

"I know David, I know. The problem is deciding who to pick. Even with two all but guaranteed votes, it's taken us over a quarter of a century to get a third. If we misstep now, it could take another twenty five years for us to get another chance."

"_You_ may have had something to do with that, Hannah."

"I didn't write _all_ those demands. Hell, I didn't even want to be a politician. I still don't. Personally, I blame Hackett for this whole mess. If he'd just warned me where this was going, I could've avoided it."

"I doubt that, Councilor. 'Ours is not to reason why, Ours is but to do and die.' "

"Funny, the last time I read Tennyson, I don't remember that part being reflexive."

"I may have taken some liberties. And you're avoiding the question. Who do we pick?"

"What about you, David? I've seen your service record. You meet all of the qualifications."

"Ha. No, Hannah, I'm not cut out to be a Spectre. If you'd asked me twenty years ago, before I got blacklisted by Saren, then maybe. As it stands, I'm just an old soldier. It's time for a younger generation to take up the mantle. But if you think _my_ service record makes me qualified, I know of at least one person who overshadows me by a longshot."

"Oh? And who would that be?"

"You know full well who I'm referring to, Hannah. John's record speaks for itself."

"We've been over this-"

"And yet you still insist on being an obstinate politician."

"Oough. That's a low blow, Captain."

"The obstinate part or the politician part? Now be reasonable. He did in ten years what took me twenty. Geist by the time he turned twenty-one, then onto N7 by the time he has twenty-six. And we can't forget Akuze."

"Believe me, Captain, I'm the _last_ person who'll be forgetting _that_. Well, the second to last, at least."

"I know. I just don't understand why you can't accept that he's the right choice. If you're waiting for someone more qualified to come along, you'll still be looking in twenty five _more_ years."

"I can't afford to play favorites, David. If I let my emotions get in the way of this, the fallout could be massive."

"And since when does Hannah Shepard care about fallout? Is this the same Hannah Shepard who threatened to turn Palaven into, what was it? 'A burning nuclear wasteland?' If I didn't know better, I'd say someone had swooped in and replaced you with a doppelgänger."

"Heh. Maybe you're right. But this is bigger than me, David. This is bigger than all of us. This is a chance for Humanity to prove that's were more than just schoolyard bullies with big sticks. I can't let my personal life interfere with this."

"So why are you?"

"… Alright, you've got me there. I'm still not sure about this, though."

" 'In this world, nothing can be said to be certain, except death and taxes.' "

"Hehehehehe. Fair enough. I'll let Raan know. But I'd rather you tell John."

"I can do that Hannah. I can do that."

* * *

"Cut the chatter you two."

"Sorry, Commander." said Kaidan.

Suddenly, Anderson's voice cut in over the coms.

"Joker! Status report."

"Just cleared the Mass Relay, Captain. Stealth systems engaged, everything looks green."

"Good. Fire up the QEC and patch us through to FleetCom. I want mission reports relayed to the Alliance brass before we reach Eden Prime."

"Aye, aye, Captain. Better brace yourself, sir. I think Nihlus is headed your way-"

"He's already here, Lieutenant. Tell Shepard to meet me in the com room for a mission briefing."

"Good job, Joker." said Shepard. "You pissed the Captain off, and now I'm gonna pay for it."

As Shepard left the bridge and headed aft, he shook his head at Joker's antics. He was the best damn pilot in the Alliance, but he made up for it by being the biggest wiseass alive.

As Shepard entered the com room, he was surprised to see Nihlus there alone. "Where's the Captain?" he asked.

"Oh, Commander Shepard. The Captain's on his way, but I was hoping you'd get here first. I've been wanting a chance to talk to you."

"Talk about what, exactly?"

"I was interested in this world we're going to, Eden Prime – I hear it's quite beautiful."

"And?"

"And it's more than just a tourist destination, isn't it Shepard? Eden Prime is a symbol of your people, proof that Humanity can not only establish colonies in their new territories, but protect them as well."

Shepard scoffed. "I'd think that Rapture would be all the proof you'd need that we can protect our people."

Before Nihlus could respond, the door behind them slid open, and Anderson walked into the com room.

"I think it's about time we told the Commander what's really going on here."

Nihlus nodded. "This mission is far more than a simple shakedown run."

"Really? Who'd 'a thunk?"

"We're making a covert pickup on Eden Prime." said Anderson, ignoring Shepard's attitude. "That's why we've engaged the _Normandy_'s stealth systems."

"What are we picking up, exactly?"

"A Prothean beacon." replied Nihlus.

"Prothean? I guess they left more behind than just some Martian ruins and old tech."

"This is big, Shepard." said Anderson. "The last time Prothean relics were discovered on a Human world, it led to new avenues of technology and research for man, and opened up the galaxy to us as well. The problem is, Eden Prime doesn't have the facilities to handle something like this. We need to get the beacon back to the Citadel for proper study."

"This goes beyond Human interests, Commander." continued Nihlus. "This discovery could affect every species in Council space."

"The Citadel? Why not Earth. Wait, let me guess: it should help "improve relations" between the Alliance and the rest of the galaxy, right?"

"I see that your mother managed to rub off on you, John." said Anderson, cracking a small smile.

"The beacon's not the only reason I'm here, Shepard." said Nihlus. "I'm here to evaluate you for the Spectres. I must admit, I was impressed when I read your file. The reports from Akuze were… particularly enlightening. That's why I supported your candidacy for the Spectres."

"And why would a Turian want a Human in the Spectres?"

Nihlus sighed. "Despite our history, not all Turians resent Humanity, Commander, just as not all Humans resent Turians. We can't deny the potential your species possess any longer, if we ever even could. As elite a group as the Spectres are, there are those among your people that could put even _us_ to the test, you chief among them. I don't care that you're Human, Shepard. I only care that you can do the job."

"I suppose I can appreciate that."

"I need to see you in action for myself, Commander." continued Nihlus. "Eden Prime will be the first of several missions together. You'll be leading the ground team to recover the beacon, with me along as an observer. We'll secure the beacon and transport it to the Normandy."

"Alright. I can do that. Just give the word, Captain."

Joker's voice suddenly came in over the coms. "We've got a problem sir. We just dropped out of FTL, and we're receiving a distress call from Eden Prime."

Anderson looked concerned. "Patch it through, Joker."

The short video that played in the com room didn't look good. Whatever was going on down there, it looked like a damn warzone.

"…under attack, tak… ulties. I repeat, taking heavy… out of nowhere, we can't… AGH. We need evac, we need-"

"That's all we got, Captain." said Joker.

"Why the hell didn't this come through on the QEC?" asked Shepard.

"Hmm… Reverse and hold at 38.5." said Anderson. A large, mechanical-looking… squid… ship… thing appeared on screen. "Whatever that thing is, I'm betting it has something to do with this."

"Sir, we're five minutes out, and there are no other Alliance ships in the area." said the pilot.

"Take us in Joker, fast and quiet. This mission just got a lot more complicated."

* * *

Appearing suddenly on the surface of Eden Prime, the three Humans and lone Turian were greeted with the sound of distant gunfire.

"Remind me again why we couldn't simply transport directly to the dig site again, Shepard?"

"Because, Nihlus, something's jamming our psychic radar. There are damn few things that can manage that, and we could've been chronoing into a shootout. This was as close as we could get without coming in hot."

"I still think I'd work better on my own, Shepard."

"Too damn bad, Spectre. While we're on this op, I call the shots. We have no idea what's down here, and we're not splitting up. Jenkins, you're on point. Let's move out."

They didn't have to wait long to find out what was going on. As they entered a small glade, a pair of floating drones was there to greet them as Jenkins out came from behind a rock formation. Caught off guard, the drones cut through his shields and shredded his armor in an instant. Even as he fell, Shepard pulled out his Carnifex Heavy pistol and blew them out of the sky with two well-placed shots. Running over to Jenkins' limp form, he knew it was too late.

"Shit. Nothing we can do now. Leave him, we've still got a job to do. Whatever those things were, I think we'll know more when we reach the dig site."

They didn't have to wait that long. Taking out several more drones as they progressed, they eventually reached a large clearing and saw a lone Alliance marine pinned down by a number of synthetics. Quickly chronoing down beside her, Shepard pulled out his Black Widow anti-material rifle and put a round straight into the optics of in each one's head.

"Whoa, shit! Where'd you come from?"

"No time to explain, marine. Commander John Shepard of the Normandy. Sitrep."

"Gunnery Chief Ashley Williams of the 212, sir. Oh man… we were patrolling when the attack hit. Something jammed our psychic radar, and we never saw them coming. They took out command and control in the first shot, and we couldn't get out a distress call."

"Where's the rest of your squad, Williams?"

"We walked into an ambush trying to reach the beacon. They… didn't make it."

"You left them?" he asked, sounding disgusted.

"We held as long as we could! The Geth were everywhere, we had to fall back. I barely got out in one piece. I didn't have the luxury of a chronosuit."

"Watch it, Gunny." warned Shepard. "And did you say Geth? They haven't been seen outside the Veil in over three hundred years. Even the envoys we sent couldn't tell us a damn thing besides the fact they were told to fuck off. Why are they here now?"

"Must be the beacon, Commander." said Kaidan. "That's the only logical explanation."

"Damnit. Alright Williams, lead the way."

Fighting their way through several more Geth patrols, they finally arrived at the dig site. The beacon was gone.

"The beacon was right here, sir." said Ashley. "The Geth must've moved it. We'll know more when we check out the research camp. It's just beyond that ridge." she finished, pointing at a nearby hill.

When they reached the top of the rise, they were greeted by the sight of demolished prefab structures and small fires. A number of tall metal spikes were planted in the ground, and what looked to be glowing blue… humanoids were impaled on top. As they neared, the spikes retracted and the things rose to their feet, apparently not bothered by the gaping holes in their abdomens. The let out a shrill, grating scream, and then charged at the party, seeking to rip them limb from limb. They didn't get far. A combination of pistol, assault rifle, and sub-machinegun fire ripped the unshielded berserkers to shreds.

"Spirits, what were those?" asked Nihlus, a little perturbed by the quickly disintegrating forms of the creatures before them. "Were they synthetic or organic?"

"I think those… husks were what's left of the colonists." said Shepard. "They looked like they were synthetic and organic. Whatever those spikes are, they turn people into these things."

"Sir, over here." said Ashley, standing next to one of the intact buildings. "This door is sealed from the inside, security lock."

"Slap some omnigel on it and let's see what's behind door number one."

What was inside was a frightened scientist and her… manic assistant. After some brief questions, and a quick right hook, Shepard learned that the beacon had been moved to the spaceport.

"Alright, let's move." said Shepard. He tuned to the slightly distraught scientist. "Seal the door again and wait for the cavalry. You and your assistant should be safe here for the time being."

When they reached the spaceport, there was another squad of Geth and Husks there to meet them. Once they were out of the way, Shepard and his team fanned out, looking for the beacon.

"Over there!" said Ashley. "There's something moving behind those crates. I think it's a civvie."

"Come out with your hands up!" said Shepard, pointing his heavy pistol towards the crates.

"Wait, I'm Human, don't shoot! You're Alliance, right? If you're looking for the beacon, you're too late; the Turian and the Geth already moved it."

"Turian?" asked Nihlus. "What Turian?"

The dock worker looked scared. "I don't know. He came from inside that mother ship with the Geth. He was giving them orders, telling them what to do. I got a picture of him on my 'tool while I was hiding." He punched in a command on the haptic interface, and a picture of a Turian in black and silver armor appeared.

"Saren." breathed Nihlus, a look of shock coming to his face.

"Friend of yours?"

"He's a fellow Spectre, Shepard, and he hates Humans. If he really is commanding the Geth, the Council and your FleetCom need to be informed. This could be another Contact War in the making."

"And why the hell should we trust you, _Turian_?" Ashley spat. "For all we know, you're working with him."

"If I was working with Saren, I'd have shot you all by now." he retorted.

"I'd like to see you try, metalhead."

"Shut the hell up, both of you." said Shepard. "We're wasting time. Whatever Saren's doing here, he wants that beacon, and I'll be damned if I let him just take it."

"The Geth loaded the beacon onto the cargo train on the other platform." supplied the dock worker. "They left about five minutes ago, so you should be able to catch them."

Fighting their way through yet another squad of Geth, Shepard noticed that some of the synthetics in this group were larger than those they had seen before. And based on how fast they cut through his shields, they packed a lot more firepower. Keeping low to avoid stray fire, Shepard ran forward, taking cover behind one of the low walls that lined the platform. He quickly lined up a shot with his sniper rifle and fired, eliminating two hostiles as the powerful projectile smashed through their metallic bodies. When the last of the Geth dropped, the team boarded the cargo train and started it.

After a few tense and silent minutes of travel, the train pulled into a station not too dissimilar from the one they had just left. The only difference was that this one still had Geth. Quickly picking one of them off with his pistol, Shepard got off the exposed train and ducked behind a metal wall, stopping next to a cylindrical metal device. Scanning it with his omnitool while his squad took out the rest of the Geth, Shepard cursed loudly as he realized what it was.

"Oh, shit! The Geth have set charges to destroy the colony! There's three more of them nearby, and we've got less than a minute to get rid of them!"

"Can you hack them!?" asked Ashley frantically, popping off a burst of assault rifle fire at a Geth platform on the catwalk above.

"Yes, but it'll take too long! I've got an idea; Nihlus, get this damn bomb turned off! I'll take care of the rest of them!"

Quickly holstering his pistol, Shepard pulled out his Temporal Dislocator. He located one of the remaining bombs and quickly teleported to a platform nearby. Ducking behind a metal crate, he aimed the Dislocator at the charge and activated the device. A hazy blue stream of temporal energy and chronitons shot from it and began pushing the bomb out of time itself. As bullets impacted his cover, the seconds ticked by all too quickly. Finally, with just over thirty five seconds left on the clock, the device he was working on winked out of reality, never having existed at all.

"How, it coming, Nihlus!?"

"Almost done, Shepard." he said, in a voice that was almost too calm for the situation. "Get to the next one and we'll cover you."

Shepard did exactly that, moving down the platform in the blink of an eye. He appeared directly next to the munition, but he was also next to a Geth trooper. Focusing on the bomb, he began erasing it as well, hearing a sharp bang behind him as the Geth had its' head blown off by a sniper round. When the next bomb was gone, there was less than fifteen seconds left to get to the last one. Unfortunately, there were three Geth near it, and one was of the larger variety.

"Kaiden, I need biotic support on the last bomb, now! Get rid of those Geth!"

"Aye, Commander!"

Teleporting to the final bomb, Shepard began the slow process of erasing it. As the Geth Prime turned towards him, it was suddenly thrown backwards by a biotic blast and fell off the steep elevated platform to the ground far below. The other two Geth turned on him as well, and their weapons began eating away at his shields rapidly. Unable to move with the bomb at less than five seconds to detonation, Shepard was sure that this was the end…

"Not today, you metal bastards!" yelled Nihlus, his omniblade slicing off the head of one of them before plunging into the other's chest in one fluid motion.

As the last bomb disappeared forever, Shepard let out a small sigh of relief. "Thanks Nihlus. I owe you one."

"Any time, Commander."

As they made their way forward, they took out one last group of Geth and Husks before finally finding their prize.

"Normandy, this is Shepard. We've secured the beacon. We need chrono transport at my location."

"So this is it, huh?" said Ashley, slowly walking towards the beacon. "It doesn't look like much up close. I don't remember it glowing, though. It's almost like… aaah… AAAGH!"

Shepard looked over his shoulder and saw Ashley doubled over in pain, her body being slowly dragged towards the beacon by some invisible force. He quickly ran over and grabbed her around her waist, twisting quickly and throwing her clear. Even as he did, he felt the same irresistible pull on his body. He was lifted sharply into the air and he distantly heard Nihlus yell his name as a series of thoughts and images began flooding into his mind.

loss…

sorrow…

reapers…

Violence…

Pain…

Reapers…

DEATH…

DESTRUCTION…

REAPERS…

**ARMAGEDDON…**

**OBLIVION…**

**REAPERS…**

_**YOU ARE ON THE WAY TO DESTRUCTION! YOU HAVE NO CHANCE TO SURVIVE, MAKE YOUR TIME!**_

Everything went black.


	12. Chapter 8: Off the Rails

Chapter 8: Off the Rails

The first sensation to return was pain. In his experience, that was usually a good thing. Pain meant you were alive.

"Ow." he mumbled.

Speech and sound were next, followed shortly by sight.

'_Damn that's bright.'_

"Ah. I see you've finally come back to us, Commander."

'_Doctor Chakwas?'_ "Karin? What the hell happened?"

"We were hoping you could tell us, Commander." said a male voice.

"That you, Kaidan?"

"Yes, sir. What's the last thing you remember?"

"I remember… ow." A fresh wave of pain hit him as he tried to recall the minutes before he had… "ow."

Chakwas hurried over to his side and put a hand on his head like a fussy mother. "Are you all right, John? I gave you something for the pain already."

"I'm fine. It just… hurts to remember. Give me a sec."

He swung his legs over the side of the bed as he sat up. As he rose, his head began to spin and he swayed in place for a moment before steadying himself.

"OK. Kaidan, give me a refresher on what happened down there."

"You'd just called for transport up to the Normandy. Ashley got too close to the beacon and something… I don't know, grabbed her I guess. You threw her out of the way, but got caught yourself. It picked you up in the air and held you for a few seconds. Then the beacon exploded."

The pain was back, but he fought through it. "Yeah, I remember some of that. When the beacon got me, I saw… ow… images. Like a vision."

"Vision of what?" asked Chakwas. "I detected some unusual brain activity when I ran a scan on you. If that beacon did something to put images in your mind, it might explain why."

"It… I think it was the Protheans. I saw… bad things. Like every negative emotion and experience possible rolled up into one."

Just then, the door to the infirmary slid open. Shepard looked over and saw Anderson walk in, a look of concern painted on his face.

"How're you feeling, John."

"Like I went twenty rounds with Ali. Except instead of fists, it was my head."

"I need to talk with you in private." he said.

After Chakwas and Kaidan had excused themselves, he continued.

"What happened down there? I've debriefed Nihlus, Williams, and Alenko, but I want your perspective."

"Saren and the Geth got to the beacon before we did. I don't know if he did something to it, sabotage maybe, but it… showed me something before it blew."

"Showed you what?"

"A vision. Like a dream. Or a nightmare. I saw something… destroying the Protheans. They called it… them… Reapers."

"That sounds an awful lot like what Einstein theorized might have happened to the Protheans. If this beacon was the first solid evidence of their fate, then we lost an incredibly valuable resource when it was destroyed."

"Damnit. I failed to get the beacon. I take responsibility for blowing the mission, sir"

"No, Shepard. You did everything you could, and what happened isn't your fault. But we still have problems. The Geth have launched an invasion of Human space, and Saren's working with them. The Council wants answers, and the Alliance brass is out for blood. The Quarians are using this to push for a war with the Geth, and they might just get it."

"Then we should give them one. We tried diplomacy once, and the Geth turned us down. If they've become hostile, then I've got no problem with bombing them back to the synthetic Stone Age."

Anderson sighed. "It's not that simple, Shepard. For all we know, this is a splinter group. When we fought the Rising, there were plenty of AIs that sided with the Alliance out of loyalty. We need to figure out what's going on before we move."

"Fair enough. But even discounting the Geth, there's still Saren to worry about. He's gone rogue, and the Council needs to be informed."

"They have been, Shepard, and we're on our way to the Citadel right now. C-Sec has been doing some digging, and they say they've found something we can use against Saren. The head detective on the case, Garrus Vakarian, should be waiting for us when we arrive."

* * *

After the decontamination cycle on the Normandy's airlock finished, four Humans and a single Turian walked out. The dock between the ship itself and the elevator to the rest of the Citadel was fairly short, and at the end of it stood two Turians in C-Sec uniforms. Seeing the small party leave the ship, they walked over to greet them.

"Captain Anderson?" asked one, extending his hand. "Citadel Security Executor Pallin. This is Garrus Vakarian, the lead detective on the investigation of Spectre Arterius."

"Pleasure to meet you Executor, Detective." said Anderson, shaking Pallin's hand. "This is Commander John Shepard and his team, Kaidan Alenko and Ashley Williams. I believe you already know Nihlus Kryik."

"Yes, yes I do. As a matter of fact, I have files on all of you, excepting Alenko."

"And why exactly is C-Sec keeping tabs on us, _Executor_?" asked Shepard, his tone growing firm. "I don't enjoy being spied on."

"No offense, Commander. I merely meant that you are well known on the Citadel due to your… connections. And Sergeant Williams is equally well known in certain circles. Now, I believe you're here for a reason. Garrus, would you mind explaining?"

The second Turian, this one clad in blue armor, held out his hand to Shepard, who shook it. "Commander. I'll skip the pleasantries for now and get to the point. For the past three months I've been investigating Saren. Most of what he does is classified, but I'm convinced he's dirty. In light of what happened on Eden Prime, I figured you'd want whatever we could dig up on him. Unfortunately, it's not much."

"Do you have _anything_?"

"A day or so ago, we got word that information on Saren was for sale from the Shadow Broker. One of his agents, a Human named Fist, decided he'd rather pocket the money himself, and is sitting on the data, waiting for a buyer."

"The Shadow Broker? Isn't he that guy who sells all the juicy info to the highest bidder? Pissing of someone like that can be detrimental to your health."

"No kidding." said Garrus, his voice droll. "Then again, Fist is an idiot. The Broker hired a Krogan bounty hunter to deal with him, and we managed to head him off before he could do anything… rash."

"Krogan?" laughed Shepard. "What's the damage?"

"Nothing yet, but he's getting antsy. If Fist has intel you need, we should probably bring him along to help with… persuasion."

Anderson cut in. "In the meantime, Nihlus and I need to talk to the Council. Get the intel if you can, then meet us in the Council chambers."

As they rode what had to be the world's slowest elevator to C-Sec Academy, a news report played in the background.

"_This just in: news has come from the Vatican on Earth that Johannes Traft, son of former Alliance Prime Minister Ambrose Traft, has been canonized. Saint Traft, perhaps best known for his actions in opening peace negotiations between the Federation and the Alliance during the Synthetic Rising, has been made the patron saint of synthetics. This is Iris Dunnigan, Alliance News Network."_

As the elevator doors opened at C-Sec Academy, Shepard saw what was probably their Krogan bounty hunter. He was talking to two Human C-Sec officers, and had a red head plate with a set of gashes running through it and down the right side of his face. The cannon sized shotgun he was holding was a pretty good indicator of his occupation as well.

"… think you can hold me here? I'd like to see you try." he rumbled, in a voice sounding like two boulders being ground together.

"I'm warning you, Krogan. If you try to start something, you'll spend the night in lockup." said one of the C-Sec officers.

"You should warn Fist. Not that it'll help much."

Shepard approached him from the side and moved between him and the C-Sec officer, who was just opening his mouth to reply.

"You're going after Fist?"

"Yeah. I was hired by the Shadow Broker to kill him."

"Good." said Shepard. "Commander John Shepard. Come with us and we'll help you get him, free of charge. Only condition is that you let us pick his brain before you blow it out."

"Hah. I like your style, Human. Urdnot Wrex." he said extending his hand, which Shepard shook.

"Wait a minute. Fist might be a criminal, but he still has rights. I can't just let you just kill him, Shepard." said Garrus.

"I'm not gonna kill him, Garrus. Wrex is gonna kill him. And if you and his shotgun would like to discuss the matter, do it on the way." Garrus grumbled a bit under his breath, but said nothing.

"Fist owns a nightclub in Zakera Ward called Chora's Den. He's probably there. And he probably has some goons to deal with." said Wrex.

"Too bad for them."

The ride to Chora's Den was fairly uneventful. As they exited the automated cab and walked towards the club, they were greeted by the sight of a Human body lying in a pool of blood just outside the door.

"Looks like someone beat us here." said Shepard, walking in the door, his heavy pistol held up in front of him.

"Boy, did they ever." said Garrus, who entered right behind Shepard. As he came in, he stopped suddenly, causing Wrex to bump into him and shove him out of the way.

"If I didn't know better, I'd say I've been here already. Though I probably would've broken more stuff." rumbled Wrex.

There were at least a dozen bodies in the club, Fist's gorillas by the look of things. Two were slumped against the walls on either side the door, and were missing sizable portions of their torsos, with blood splattered dents in the wall behind them. Three more had tried to take cover behind an overturned metal table, but it hadn't been able to stop the shotgun blasts that had killed them. What was left of a Turian was draped over the bar, its' headless corpse on top of a Batarian who was missing an arm. Three more Humans had tried to find cover behind said bar, but a nearby blast crater from a grenade and their charred corpses made it clear how well _that_ had worked.

"Well shit." said Shepard. "May as well see if there's anything left of Fist."

As they moved through the bar and into the back room, they passed several more bodies. Reaching a door near the rear of the warehouse, Shepard heard grunting behind it as it opened. As soon as it did, a large, heavy object was thrown out of it and bowled him over, sending him stumbling into Ashley and knocking her over as well.

"Hello Fist." said Garrus sarcastically. "How're things?"

Fist, who it turns out had been the flying mass, looked up from the pile of bodies at Garrus, his face as mask of terror. "C-Sec! Shit man, you gotta protect me, she's crazy, she's gonna kill me!"

"Get back here, you big bosh'tet." said a distinctly feminine voice. "I'm not done with you yet."

Pushing Fist off his chest and picking himself up from the tangled mass of limbs, Shepard got a good look at the owner of the voice, and was surprised to see that he recognized her. The Quarian in front of him was wearing a helmetless environmental suit, indicative of her status as a Pilgrim. She had an angular lavender face with accented cheek bones, and two thin lines running from her eyes to her forehead, making a V shape in her attractive features. Her almost pure white eyes widened slightly when she saw him.

"Tali? Wasn't expecting to see you here."

"Oh. Hi John, long time no see. I'd love to catch up, but I have some _business_ to take care of first." she said, looking down at the prone, quivering form of Fist.

"You too? Sorry, Tali, but I gotta talk to him first. I don't know if you heard, but there was a Geth attack on Eden Prime a few days ago. He has intel on a Turian who was working with-"

"Saren?" she finished. "You're after him too? Good. That should make things go quicker."

"Fuck man, I don't know nothin'." muttered Fist.

Shepard hauled the frightened crook to his feet and brought their faces close together. "Tell you what, Fist. My Quarian friend over there seems to have the situation well in hand, but I need that information, and I need it now. If you tell me what I want to know, I won't let her kill you."

"Fuck. Alright. It's a recording the Shadow Broker intercepted between Saren and the Geth. He talks about Eden Prime. I'll transfer it to your omnitool, just keep that crazy bitch away from me."

After he transferred the recording, Shepard let Fist drop. "Tali, we need to get this to the Council right now. Sorry, but I'm a man of my word, and I can't let you kill him." As Fist breathed a sigh of relief, Shepard looked over his shoulder at Wrex. "Wrex, you kill him."

"WHAT?! NO, WAIT-"

A sharp bang from Wrex's shotgun cut him off, and Shepard motioned for the others to follow him as the left the bar.

* * *

As the now rather sizable party climbed out of the air cab, Shepard saw Anderson and Nihlus standing on the audience podium, with the five member Council on a floating dais above and in front of them. To their left was a large hologram of a Turian who looked very familiar.

"Councilors, I would hardly call the word of a single frightened dock worker _proof_." said Saren. "Besides, we have no way of knowing if the image has been tampered with."

"You're full of shit, Saren, and that we _can_ prove." said Shepard, walking up the stairs to stand beside Anderson. "We've recovered a recording that proves Saren's guilt beyond any doubt, Councilors."

"Oh have you?" said Sparatus. "And where exactly did you acquire this _recording_, Commander?"

"We obtained it from a man named Fist, an agent of the Shadow Broker. The information was discovered by C-Sec and the Rangers in two independent investigations."

"The Rangers have no jurisdiction on the Citadel." said Valern, the Salarian Councilor.

"They do if they're a Geist, which Tali'Zorah is." countered Raan. "I recalled her from her Pilgrimage temporarily so she could conduct an independent investigation into this matter, since the Geists are… unencumbered by C-Sec's miles of red tape. In any case, show us this evidence, Commander."

Shepard typed a short command on his omnitool, and Saren's voice played out for the Council to hear.

"_Eden Prime was a major victory, but I'm disappointed that the colony survived. It may lead to my other projects being discovered. Regardless, we're one step closer to finding the Conduit."_

Shepard opened his mouth to confront Saren, but before he could say a word, a second voice played from his 'tool, this one female.

"_And one step closer to the return of the Reapers."_

"There's your proof." said Shepard.

"I'll kill you for this, _Human_." hissed Saren, before his image disappeared.

I took the Council a moment to recover from their shock, but then Hannah spoke, sounding both confused and incredulous. "That second voice… Was that Benezia?"

Tevos nodded. "It was. I've known her for decades. But I can't believe she's in league with Saren. It's not like her."

"Believe it Councilor." said Shepard. "This proves Saren is working with the Geth, and Benezia's helping him. They caused the death of thousands of people on Eden Prime, and I intend to make them pay for it."

"This doesn't concern you, _Commander_." sneered Sparatus. "The Council is perfectly capable of handling this."

"Fuck you."

"Language, John." said Hannah, her tone firm but her eyes amused. "You don't want me to have to wash your mouth out with soap."

Shepard stood there a moment, his face flushing slightly in embarrassment. There wasn't much he could say to that. Breaking the silence, Valern spoke next.

"Saren mentioned something called the Conduit. What is it?"

"We're not sure, Councilor." said Anderson. "But if the beacon helps him to find it, it must have something to do with the Protheans. It may be a piece of technology, possibly a weapon."

"And what of these… Reapers? I've never heard the term before."

"I believe I can answer that, Councilor." said Tali, moving to stand next to Shepard. "I've been on my Pilgrimage for several months now, and I've been trying to gather intelligence on the Geth. I retrieved some data from a hostile Geth platform I destroyed not long ago, and I just recently managed to decode it. The Reapers are some kind of sentient machines, machines that caused the destruction of the Protheans. The Geth view them as some kind of gods, and Saren as their prophet."

"That's ridiculous." said Sparatus. "There's no evidence of these Reapers. Saren must be manipulating the Geth with their name for his own ends."

"So you admit he's working with them, then." said Hannah. "Glad you could finally concede the point."

Sparatus glared at her, but Tevos forestalled the encounter by speaking. "Given this new evidence, I move to strip Saren of his Spectre status." said Tevos

"I second the motion." said Raan.

"And I third." finished Hannah. "Saren Arterius is hereby stripped of his Spectre status. We'll do everything in our power to bring him in to answer for his crimes."

"Good." said Shepard. "He can't hide from the Alliance navy for long."

"Unfortunately John, it's not that simple." said Raan. "The Alliance and Quarian High Commands have decided to focus on the Geth for the time being. Saren is only one person, and if we can remove his Geth support, he'll be much easier to deal with."

"What about the rest of the Council? The Hierarchy has the second largest fleet in the galaxy. They can spare a few ships."

"The _Hierarchy_ is concerned with Turian worlds, Commander." said Sparatus. "We must ensure our own security before we worry about yours."

That made Shepard angry. "_Your_ security? Saren is a Turian with a well-known and documented animosity towards Humans. You know damn well he's not going to attack you."

"Whatever Saren's intentions, it's not him we must worry about, but the Geth. They could strike anywhere next."

"Fine. If you don't have the balls to do what needs to be done, then I'll do it. Even if it means doing it alone."

"You won't be alone, John." said Hannah. "This is a job for a Spectre. In fact it's a job for two."

"I still believe this is premature." said Sparatus.

"As do I." said Valern.

"Ordinarily, I would agree with you." said Tevos. "But these are extraordinary circumstances."

The Councilors exchanged glances, then Hannah, Raan, and Tevos nodded.

"Johnathan Shepard, Tali'Zorah nar Rayya, step forward." said Hannah.

"It is the decision of the Council that you be granted all the powers and privileges of the Special Tactics and Reconnaissance branch of the Citadel." said Tevos.

"Spectres are not trained, but chosen. Individuals forged in the fire of service and battle; those whose actions elevate them above the rank and file." said Valern.

"Spectres are an ideal, a symbol. The embodiment of courage, determination, and self-reliance. They are the right hand of the Council, instruments of our will." said Raan.

"Spectres bear a great burden. They are protectors of galactic peace, both our first and last line of defense. The safety of the galaxy is theirs to uphold." said Sparatus.

"You are the first Spectres for both your races. This is a great accomplishment for you both." finished Hannah.

"Thank you, Councilors. But we have a job to do."

* * *

As Shepard, Ashley, and Tali entered the small office that housed the Human embassy on the Citadel, they were met with the sight of Anderson and Hannah conversing. Shepard had been headed back to the Normandy when he received a message from her to meet here.

"You rang, madam?" he said, getting her attention.

"John." she said, smiling warmly. "I've been wanting to talk to you. I just want to say… I'm so proud of you. You've accomplished so much: first the Geists, then the N7's, then Akuze, and now this." She grabbed his head with both hands and pulled it down gently before kissing him on the forehead. "I'm so proud of you"

"Moo-oom…" he said, nearly in a whine. His cheeks flushed red at being treated like a child, in front of his friends and CO no less.

"What's the matter, John? You can disarm nuclear bombs while being shot at by Geth and tell Sparatus where to shove it, but you can't stand a little motherly affection?" teased Tali.

"I've been meaning to talk about that, young man. You can't run around insulting Citadel Councilors and threatening people, even if you're my son, _especially_ since you're my son."

" 'Burning. Nuclear. Wasteland.' " he replied.

Hannah shook her head and sighed. "I'm never going to live that down, am I?"

"He takes after you, Hannah." said Anderson, smiling slightly. "And let's face facts: we can't afford to play nice with Saren and the Geth. Besides, Sparatus always did need knocked down a peg or two."

"Speaking of the Geth, we've got a lead for you." said Hannah, eager to change the subject. "It turns out that Benezia has a daughter, Doctor Liara T'Soni. She's apparently some sort of expert on the Protheans, so she might be able to help you interpret what the beacon showed you. It might also help you get some information on Benezia."

"If we're after her, you can bet Saren and the Geth are too. Where is she?"

"The last anyone knew, she was at a dig site on Therum, in the Artemis Tau Cluster. We've sent the relevant data to the Normandy, and we'll let you know if we find anything else. Good luck, John."

As they exited the small office and headed into the Presidium, an elderly Human man waved the Commander over.

"Commander Shepard, I apologize for taking your time, but I must speak with you." he said, sounding agitated.

"I'm kinda in a hurry, what is it?"

"My name is Samesh Bhatia. My wife, Nirali, was among the soldiers lost during the attack on Eden Prime."

"Serviceman Nirali Bhatia of the 212?" asked Ashley. "I knew her; we were in the same unit. I'm sorry for your loss, Samesh. Nirali was a good soldier and a fine woman."

"Thank you, miss Williams. Nirali often spoke of you in her letters to me. It brings me comfort to know she gave her life for something. That is what I wished to speak about. I wish to put Nirali's spirit to rest, but the Alliance is refusing to return her body to me for cremation. They won't tell me why, and I was hoping you would be willing to help."

"They won't return her body?" asked Shepard. "That's bullshit. Your wife gave her life defending people, and they won't even let you bury her? How can I help?"

"There is a man, an Alliance officer. I pleaded with him to release Nirali to me, but he refused. He's in the bar near the embassies. If you could speak with him and convince him to change his mind, I would be very grateful, Commander."

When Shepard entered the bar, he saw the officer immediately. Walking up to him, he seized the man by his collar and lifted him up to eye level.

"I wanted to have a chat with you about Serviceman Bhatia." he said without preamble. "I want you to release her body, right now."

The officer grew nervous, and small beads of sweat appeared on his brow. "Commander, I realize that this is a delicate situation, but Mrs. Bhatia's remains are some of the only intact one's we've found that have Geth weapon damage. We need to run tests to learn-"

"She died defending Eden Prime, and you want to experiment on her?" he cut in disgustedly. He glowered at the man as he continued. "I don't give a damn what your reasons are, so I'm only going to say this once: You _will_ release her body to her husband immediately."

The officer's face suddenly went slightly limp, and his eyes glazed over. When he replied, his voice was flat. "I will release her body to her husband immediately."

Slightly puzzled with this turn of events, Shepard set the officer back down. "Good." he said, before walking out. When he reached Samesh in the Presidium where he'd left him, he walked over to him and gave him the good news. "Mr. Bahtia, I've taken care of the Alliance. Your wife's body will be returned to you now."

"Thank you, Commander. I'm very grateful for everything you've done, and I know Nirali would be as well. If there is ever anything I can do to repay you, you need only ask."

Samesh walked away into the crowd, and Shepard made his way to the docks at C-Sec Academy to return to the Normandy. As much as he would have liked to take a few hours to relax, he had places to be. As he approached one of the many elevators in the Presidium, he found in blocked by a C-Sec officer and a Hanar, who were arguing.

"This one does not wish to cause trouble, venerable officer. It only wishes to spread the word of the Enkindlers to those who would listen." said the Hanar.

"Look buddy, you're _already_ causing trouble. Either get a license to preach or move along." said the Turian officer.

"Is there a problem here, officer?" asked Shepard.

"This Hanar insists on preaching about the Enkindlers on the Presidium. While I don't have a problem with his religion, or with him preaching it, I do have a problem with him refusing to obtain a permit to do it."

"This one only seeks to educate those around it on the teachings and wisdom of the Enkindlers. It believes that requiring a permit to bring enlightenment and truth to others is improper." said the Hanar, its' voice serene.

"Look, pal." said Shepard. "You can preach all day for all I care, but you're breaking the law here. Just get a permit, or get out."

The Hanar hesitated a moment before responding. "I will obtain a permit, Human. This one does not wish to cause further difficulty for the esteemed C-Sec officer."

The Hanar floated off into the crowd, and the C-Sec officer thanked Shepard briefly. As the trio entered the elevator, Tali spoke.

"I see you've inherited your mother's, what is it Humans call it? 'Silver tongue?' " she laughed. "You have such a way with words, John"

"Very funny, Tali. So how've you been? We haven't seen each other since your college graduation."

She laughed again. Her laughter was beautiful. It was light and airy, and it had an almost musical ring to it. "Well enough I suppose. I joined the Rangers before I started my Pilgrimage to get some combat training. It's a good thing too. If I hadn't, things could've gone much worse with Fist."

"I saw the aftermath. I didn't realize you could kick that much ass. The Geists must've really put you through the ringer." he said.

"Oh, it wasn't so bad. After all, you managed to make it just fine." she quipped.

"Bazinga, Skipper." said Ashley, a wide grin on her face.

"Great, I'm being double teamed by two hot soldiers." he said sardonically. Then, a wide, mischievous grin came to his face. "Great! I'm being double teamed by two hot soldiers!" he repeated roguishly.

Ashley's face flushed red, and she cleared her throat loudly. Tali was a bit more forceful with her response. As the elevator doors opened, she started slapping the shit out of his arm, her face turning a darker shade of violet.

As they approached the end of the docks, Anderson and Hannah were waiting for them. "Just wanted to see you off, John." she said.

"Captain Anderson and I will find Saren, mom. We'll make him pay for what he's done."

"Just you, son." said Anderson. "The Alliance brass needs me to help coordinate the attack on the Geth. The Normandy's yours now." He held out his hand, and Shepard shook it. "Congratulations Commander, and godspeed."

Shepard turned to board the Normandy, but Hannah stopped him with a hand on his shoulder. "John, I know this important, and I know you need to do this, but… stay safe, and come back to me."

"I will, mom. I promise"

"One other thing, John. Find Saren. Find him, and rip his head off."

* * *

_**Edit: Just wanted to let everybody know that I'm gonna be dropping off the grid for a few days. I've got an exam coming up, and I need to study. With that in mind, I thought I'd give a tiny little teaser for the next chapter. The title is '**_**Through the Fire and the Flames**_**.'**_

_**Time stamp 3/16/2014**_

_**P.S.: For those of you wondering where Udina is, I have only this to say:**_

_**Fuck Udina. He got hit by a bus.**_


	13. Chapter 9: Fire and Flames

_**Author notes: Here's the next chapter. My exams seem to come in waves, and I've got another in a few days. Getting chapter 10 out might take a while, but we'll see. With that in mind, this chapter is my longest yet, if you don't count the notes at the beginning of Prologue Part 3. Enjoy.**_

* * *

Chapter 9: Through the Fire and the Flames

Shepard finished reading the intel the Council had provided as he waited for the airlock on the Normandy to cycle. Exiting it, he was greeted by the smirking visage of Joker, who turned to meet him as he entered.

"Jeez, Commander, you sure are assembling a ragtag bunch of misfits for this mission: _Three _Spectres, including a smokin' Quarian and good ol' stick-in-the-mud Nihlus, plus an ex-detective with chip on his shoulder and a crazy Krogan bounty hunter who looks like he might eat me. And that's not including the granddaughter of General "Fuck You" Williams, nice and simple Kaidan, and our soon-to-be newest member, an egghead Asari scientist."

Shepard hadn't realized that Nihlus, Garrus, _or_ Wrex had come along. He'd have to talk to them about it. That didn't stop his retort to the smartass pilot, though.

"I notice you didn't say that in front of them. And Wrex wouldn't eat you, Joker. He's a teddy bear."

"Sure he is, Commander." said Joker, spinning to face his controls. "He's a nine hundred pound reptilian teddy bear with a shotgun. Remind me not to let you buy my kids presents at Christmas."

Chuckling slightly, Shepard made his way to the back of the deck and entered the briefing/com room, where he found his team waiting for him, conversing quietly.

"I see everyone's met. I'll admit, I'll take all the help I can get, but why're you three here?" he asked, looking at Wrex, Garrus, and Nihlus in turn.

"The Alliance is paying me well is why." said Wrex. "Plus, I'm in the mood for a good fight, and three Spectres should attract plenty of trouble."

"What about you, Garrus? You've worked at C-Sec for years. Why give it up now?"

"Saren is more than just a threat to Humans, Shepard. He's a threat to everyone, including the Hierarchy, even if they're too blind to see it. I want to see him pay for his crimes, and I'll be damned if I sit around trying to wade my way through oceans of red tape and regulations when I could be out here doing something about it."

"I agree." said Nihlus. He hung his head, and his voice was heavy as he continued. "Saren was… a friend. I want to know what the hell happened to him, and why he's doing this. And if he's just out for blood or revenge…" He looked Shepard dead in the eye, his gaze determined. "Then I'll kill him myself."

"Good. Because I intend to rip him limb from limb before this is over. His bullshit cost thousands of people their lives, and he's going to bleed for each and every one." Shepard stood up straight, coming to parade rest before continuing. "Can I assume you've all read the briefing on our next objective?" When they all nodded, he pressed on. "Good. The intel we have on Therum is that it's a highly volcanic planet. The dig site was discovered by accident, because it's apparently been protected by some sort of Mass Effect shield from the conditions on the surface. The Geth have a head start on us, so we're expecting them to be there in force and put up heavy resistance, which means we need heavy armor. The ground down there is unstable, so we're going to have to find a safe place to chrono in the MIAFV."

"Sorry, the what? asked Garrus.

"Multi Infantry Adaptable Fighting Vehicle." said Shepard. "It's an armored transport used by the Alliance, essentially a light, fast tank. It has three turrets which conform themselves to their users and alter to one of several configuration based on who's in them. They multiply the user's effective combat effectiveness several times. For example, since I know Tali prefers a good shotgun, if she were to man a turret, it would automatically rearrange itself to a Flechette Cannon."

"Sorry, but I'm still lost." said Garrus.

"OK, think of it like this: what type of weapon do you prefer?"

"Sniper rifles." he said automatically.

"Heh, a Turian after my own heart. Basically, if you were to get inside a turret on a MIAFV, it would become a Sniper's Perch: it would turn into a high powered anti-material rifle with an effective range of about five clicks and enough power to rip through a meter of solid titanium."

Garrus got a shocked look on his face before his eyes lit up with greed. "Spirits. I've got to get me one of those."

"Sorry to burst your bubble, Garrus, but the turrets have to stay with the vehicle. There's a lot of delicate electronics that make the thing work, not to mention a highly sophisticated onboard VI."

"Aww. You just had to get my hopes up."

Shepard put on a mischievous grin. "Don't worry, Garrus. I've got something for you that should cheer you up. It's not as powerful as the Perch, but as you know, it's not the size that counts, it's how you use it." he said slyly

Garrus caught on and returned Shepard's jibe with one of his own. "I'll have you know I've got more size _and_ power than you, Shepard."

Ashley giggled. "I've seen Turian soldiers in action before, Skipper, and I believe him."

"Getting double-teamed by you and Tali was fun, Ash, but now we're getting weird." That earned him a sharp jab to the ribs from Tali.

Kaidan ignored the byplay and spoke for the first time in the briefing. "Not to be rude, but we're giving them Alliance tech, sir? I know the mission is important, but is that wise?"

"We don't have time for wise, Kaidan. We need to stop Saren, and I'm not about to risk someone's life for fear they might make off with something. You've _all_ signed up for this willingly, and that buys all of you my trust until you do something to prove you don't deserve it." Shepard waited for him to nod before addressing the rest of the group. "Ash, Kaidan, you two know your way around Alliance tech well enough to decide on a loadout on your own. Everyone else, follow me. It's time to get you some new toys."

* * *

As Shepard and his non-Human team members exited the elevator and entered the cargo bay, they were greeted by the sight of dozens of metal crates with the Alliance logo on them. They had just been delivered for this very mission.

"Alright, let's see what they sent us." he said. Opening one of the crates, he saw a dozen of what looked to be sniper rifles. "Ah, here we go." Lifting one out, he handed it to Garrus, who looked it over, confused.

"What's this? It looks like a sniper rifle, but it uses metal projectiles instead of Mass Effect driven rounds. This thing's an antique."

Shepard shook his head. "It may look low tech, but that rifle is the single most dangerous long distance weapon in the Alliance arsenal, _including_ the MIAFV's Sniper's Perch. _That _is the Mark III Chronorift Rifle. While it does fire slugs, and hence have fairly limited ammo and travel time on the projectiles, the bullets it fires are driven by our most compact chrono technology. When you pull the trigger, a built in range finder determines the exact distance to the target, down to the millimeter. The round that's fired passes through a chronorift as it leaves the barrel, a field that causes the bullet to exit our space-time and enter another reality temporarily. By default, the effect lasts until the bullet has passed about two centimeters beyond the target, rematerializing _inside_ it, bypassing shields, biotic barriers, and armor plating. And in case they have thicker armor, you can manually adjust the distance it travels past the surface. There is literally nothing it can't go through. If you could determine his exact position, you could kill a man inside a fortress from a kilometer away _through_ buildings, people, and defenses, all without ever being seen."

As Shepard finished his speech, Garrus looked down at the rifle with a look of awe in his eyes. "Holy shit." he breathed. "No wonder Alenko was worried about giving us Alliance tech."

"Ah, don't mind him. Besides, I doubt you could learn to use that thing anyway." said Shepard playfully.

"O-o-o-oh, it's on now, Shepard. It is _on._"

"Any day of the week, and twice on Sundays, Vakarian." Reaching down to open another crate, Shepard pulled out what looked like an oversized shotgun with Tesla Coils wrapped around the barrel. "This one's for you, Tali. Ever seen one of these before?" he asked, handing her the weapon.

"Well, I've seen Tesla Coils, so I can guess what it does, sort of anyway. Give me the details."

"This is the Union Tesla Cannon. It works mostly like a standard shotgun, but with Tesla tech built in. When it fires a blast, the metal fragments that come out of the barrel are electrified by the Coils as they leave. The high voltage current jumps rapidly between them as they travel, and turns them into highly ionized, extreme temperature plasma. The voltage discharge from the shot will almost instantly shred any shield or barrier that exists, while the follow-up plasma burns and melts its' way through whatever's behind them. The best part is that the ionized shots become magnetized, automatically homing in on anything metallic in their path, such as body armor or Geth platforms. It's the perfect anti-synthetic weapon."

"Oh Keelah. I think… I think I'm in love."

"Careful now. You know how jealous I can be." he joked.

"I could use one of those." said Wrex. "Got any more?"

"Yep, but I think I can do one better for you, big guy." Shepard walked over to a larger crate, this one housing a single massive weapon, reminiscent of an old Human minigun. He struggled to lift the seventy kilo monster before handing it to the Krogan. "This is the PRISM Gatling. Normally, only synthetics can use these, since they're so damn heavy, but you can handle it. The six barrels produce miniature PRISM lasers, which fire in a fairly large cone in front of the business end. Each shot's every bit as powerful as a round from an assault rifle, but they ignore shields, and the thing fires six thousand of them a minute. But that's not all: if you squeeze and hold the second trigger located behind the first, all six barrels will stop firing and begin a controlled overload. It takes about ten seconds to charge, and it drains power like crazy, but this thing can fire a single beam of death powerful enough to take out a frigate, not to mention anything that walks, runs, or rolls."

Wrex got an evil smile on his face as he hefted the behemoth of a weapon. "He he he. This is gonna be good."

"I assume you have something for me as well, Shepard?" asked Nihlus.

"Well, there's plenty here, but I'm not sure what to give you. What are your strengths and weakness in a fight?"

"Well… I tend prefer close quarters combat. I'm also a decent scout, and I'm fairly good at thinking on my feet."

"CQC huh? In that case, I've got exactly the thing. Or should I say _things_?"

Reaching into yet another crate, Shepard pulled out what looked to be a white and blue shield roughly a foot across in the shape of an octagon.

"Item one. Care to guess what it does?"

"It looks like a shield. Is it some kind of armor?" said Nihlus.

"Close, but not quite. I'll give you a demonstration. Everyone, do me a favor and turn around." Looking confused, the team slowly complied, spinning to face the elevator. After a few seconds, Shepard spoke again. "Alright, you can look now." They did, and their confusion increased when the Commander was nowhere to be found.

"Where'd he go?" asked Nihlus, puzzled.

Garrus wasn't fooled. Years of working as a detective at C-Sec had given him an eye for detail. "That crate wasn't there before." he half stated, half asked.

"Good eye, Garrus." said Shepard's voice, coming from the crate in question. He moved towards Nihlus, breaking the illusion and making the Turian Spectre jump backwards in surprise. At the peak of his jump, Shepard's omnitool flashed, immortalizing the moment.

"Gotcha, Nihlus. Wanna see the look on your face?" he joked.

"Spirits, what…?" asked Nihlus, sounding winded. "What was that?"

Removing the device from his chest, where it was hanging from a strap around his shoulders and back, Shepard handed it to him as he answered. "This is a Mirage Inducer. As you've seen, it can project an illusory field around the wearer, making them look like something else. It automatically scans the surrounding environment for objects to disguise as: rocks, shrubs, boxes, you name it. As long as you're relatively stationary, you'll look like an inanimate object. You can fidget a little, even aim a weapon, but if you move from your hiding spot, or fire a shot, you'll revert until you stop moving again."

"The ultimate camouflage… I like it." said Nihlus. "Probably doesn't work too well on the Geth though."

"Probably not. As Garrus proved, someone with a sharp eye or a decent memory can spot you if you try to move on them, and synthetics tend to have both. It's still excellent for impromptu ambushes, though, or for making a quick "escape" if you can lose your pursuers long enough to hide."

"I can think of a dozen times in the past where I'd have killed for one of these." said Nihlus. Then he chuckled. "Literally, in fact."

"Christmas isn't over yet." said Shepard, opening another crate.

"What's Christmas?" asked Nihlus confusedly. All of the non-Humans looked equally puzzled, except Tali.

"Human holiday." answered Shepard, pulling out what appeared to be a meter long, thin metal rod, with a hilt on one end. "It used to be a religious occasion, to celebrate the birth of a man thought to be the son of god; it still is, among Christians anyway. Over the years, it's become more secular: now, it's mostly just a day where families and friends get together and exchange gifts. And speaking of gifts…" he finished, handing the rod to the Turian. "This one's for you."

"I'm touched Shepard, but what is it? You keep pulling surprises out of those crates, so I almost wouldn't be shocked if you found an Asari stripper in there somewhere."

"I wish." he laughed. "I don't think the Alliance has a requisition form for those, though. If they did, I'd have filled it out years ago." That earned him a mild glare from Tali and chuckles from the others.

"Watch it Shepard." she said dangerously. "I can get just as jealous as you, _remember_?"

Still laughing slightly, Shepard answered Nihlus' question. "That's a Riftblade, though it doesn't have a sharp edge in the conventional sense. It operates on the same principle as Garrus' rifle, but in melee form. Press and hold the top button on the hilt, and it'll phase through whatever you swing it at. Release the button midway, and you'll tear a gash through whatever it's inside of at the moment. If you press the bottom button, the entire length will be electrified with Tesla energy, and it'll glow white hot, which should cause serious problems for whatever it happens to be within at the time. It can melt or burn its' way through just about anything that isn't solid eezo."

"I've seen something like that before." said Tali. "But it was on some old Human vid. I think they called it a… a lightsaber."

"Fan of the classics, eh Tali? Darth Vader would drool over one of these." said Shepard.

"Who's Darth Vader? Is he some Human historical figure?" asked Garrus.

Shepard shook his head and laughed. "God help us if Vader was real. No, he's a character from an old science fiction vid from Earth, called Star Wars. A very old one, in fact: over two hundred years. When we have some down time, I'll show you the series. It's pretty good, if a bit corny nowadays."

As Shepard removed a second sniper rifle from the crate for his own use, Nihlus asked him a question. "Shepard, I've been meaning to ask: on Eden Prime, you used your armor to teleport around the battlefield, and to use that eraser… gun… thing. Can we get those?"

"Sorry, but no can do. It would take months to custom build you all chronosuits, and months more to train you to use them. Unfortunately, Jenkins was the only one we had besides me that knew had to use one… Didn't help him much, though." he finished sadly.

"It's not your fault, Shepard. You know that." said Nihlus.

"Marines die, Nihlus. It's our job. But I'm not about to let anyone else go out that easily. We're still about a day away from Therum, so try to familiarize yourselves with your new gear, preferably without putting holes in my ship. When we get there, we'll teach the Geth what happens when you fuck with the Alliance."

* * *

"Alright, I want Garrus in the rear turret. Prevent the Geth from sneaking up behind us. Kaidan, you take the middle, and keep the barriers up. The shields on this thing can only take so much, and we've got no idea how many Geth are down there. I'll be in front to clear a path. Garrus, swing around to assist whenever you can manage. Ash, you're driving. Everybody else, be ready to switch out with one of us if needed. The turret controls are fairly simple, and the VI will help."

The MIAFV teleported down to the surface of the volcanic planet, its' crew ready for anything. Good thing too. The moment they appeared, a bright ball of plasma streaked over the vehicle, causing the shields to drop slightly in its wake.

"Contact, two o'clock!" announced Ashley. "Looks like some kind of Geth walker. There're four platforms with it as well."

"I got the walker. Garrus, get the little ones." said Shepard.

The Perch's rifle roared as the massive slug it launched tore into the Geth walker's neck, decapitating it and causing it to collapse. Moments later, a second bang came from the rear of the vehicle as Garrus swung around and took out two at once with a single well placed shot. A second shot from Shepard erased the torso of a third, its' limbs flying in different directions as it was ripped apart. The last Geth was crushed by the MIAFV as Ashley flattened the thing, having gunned it the moment the walker was dead.

Even as the remains of the last Geth were chewed up by the tank's treads, a second group of synthetics, this one larger than the last, appeared as the vehicle skidded around a bend in the path. Two of the troopers opened up, sending rockets flying towards the vehicle. An expert shot from Garrus knocked one out of the air and sailed on to kill the Geth that had fired it, but the second impacted Kaidan's biotic barrier, causing him to grunt in exertion. Shepard leveled his aim at a one of two walkers and fired, blowing a half meter hole in its body. Garrus fired again as well, once again taking out two platforms that had lined up for him. The second walker fired, and a shot of brilliant blue energy flew from it. Too close to dodge, the vehicle shuddered, Kaidan's barrier finally collapsing from the impact of a second heavy weapon in less than ten seconds.

"I'm spent, Commander. Tali, tag out." said Kaidan

As the duo switched places, Shepard and Garrus fired on the last walker almost as one. Garrus' shot took out part of the torso and two legs an instant before Shepard's blew its' head off.

"That's another for me, Shepard." said Garrus.

"You only injured it, Vakarian. I killed it." replied Shepard, firing again and taking out another Geth.

"It wasn't getting up from that, and you know it." he retorted, firing again as well. "Besides, I'm winning. I've taken out twice as many as you."

"Mine were bigger."

"Keelah, shut it you two." said Tali, taking aim with her newly configured Flechette Cannon. "It's not a contest."

"Say's you." they replied simultaneously.

The speeding tank flattened two more platforms as Ashley barreled down the narrow path. A small group of Geth appeared on a ridge above and to the side of the vehicle as it passed, but a blast from Tali's Cannon put four of them down for good, with Garrus dropping the last one. When the shooting died down, Ashley eased up on the throttle, keeping the tank rolling at a more sedate pace.

"I see something up ahead, Skipper. Looks like a building of some sort. It- INCOMING!" she yelled, jerking the MIAFV's controls to the side, causing it to turn sharply. A large rocket flew through the spot the tank had just occupied, exploding harmlessly on the ground behind them.

"Heavy turrets! Take them out." ordered Shepard.

Shepard and Garrus fired at the same turret, Garrus' shot taking out most of its shields and his the rest. It fired again, but Garrus put a round through the rocket just as it left the barrel, blowing the whole thing sky high. Closing on a second turret, the tank wove and dodged as Ashley swerved over and over to avoid the heavy rockets. Just as pair of shots from the dual snipers took out its shields, it fired a final rocket. Too close to avoid it, the tank would have been badly damaged if a shot from Tali hadn't taken the rocket down just meters from the vehicle, her Cannon blowing it from the sky. One final shot from Shepard put the thing down for good.

"Damnit. The Geth must've hacked the defenses. There's probably a lot more of them in the base, and we need heavy weapons to blow open that door. Wrex, switch out with me and make a hole." said Shepard.

Wrex clambered into the gunner's seat, his massive frame almost too large to fit. The turret quickly reconfigured into a PRISM Cannon, and a bright beam of light shot out of it and opened a large hole in the metal door to the compound.

"Nice shootin', Tex." said Shepard.

"It's Wrex." he growled. "How'd you screw that up?"

"I... ah forget it. Kaidan, you ready for another round?"

"I think so, Commander." he replied.

"Good. Switch out with Garrus. As soon as we go in, he, Nihlus, and I'll head out on foot while you three cover us. Ash, move us out."

"Roger that, Skipper."

As soon as the MIAFV entered the base, all hell broke loose. Small arms fire erupted from every side, dropping the shields on the tank at an alarming rate. Several blasts from Tali's Cannon took out a half dozen Geth platforms, and a pair of amplified biotic bolts from Kaidan dropped as many more. Wrex, meanwhile, had obliterated another walker with his PRISM Cannon, and as soon as it recharged, took out a last group of three Geth that had bunched together behind a shipping container.

"Clear for now, Skipper." said Ashley. "But there could be more inside."

"Ten four. Mind the store, Ash. Garrus, Nihlus, let's go."

As the trio exited the tank and moved towards a building, a Geth platform emerged from the door. Before it could raise its weapon, Nihlus whipped out his Riftblade and activated it, swinging the incorporeal weapon into the Geth's face, where it reappeared, blowing out its optic and exploding its' head.

"Damn, this thing's great." he said, entering the base with the weapon held out in front of him.

"Focus, Nihlus. Anything inside?"

"Negative, Shepard." he replied. "It's clear. Looks like there are controls to the base doors over here. Give me a minute to override them."

Shortly, a second sliding door opened in the wall of the compound, revealing a narrow canyon beyond it.

"Looks like we're on foot from here. Ash, you and Kaidan keep an eye on the MIAFV. If things get too hot, call the Normandy for evac. Wrex, Tali, you're with us."

As the group of five wound their way through the narrow passage, they pulled out their respective weapons and prepared for what lay ahead. When the pass opened up, they saw a group of a dozen or so Geth emerge from behind a distant rock formation. Before either party could react, Wrex let out a bellowing roar and leveled his Gatling at them. It sprang to life, hundreds of miniature PRISM beams flying out and slagging the entire squad of synthetics before they could make cover.

"HAH!" he shouted. "Now this is what I call fun!"

"Remind me not to get on his bad side." muttered Nihlus.

"You should've seen the last guy who did that." said Garrus. "They had to scrape what was left of Fist off the walls with a spatula."

Passing the remains of the destroyed Geth, Shepard saw a series of towers on a rise overlooking the area they were in. And on top of those towers were…

"Snipers! Get to cover!" he yelled, as a pair of rounds flew past him.

As the squad dove and ducked behind various rocks, Shepard and Garrus pulled out their own sniper rifles.

"Alright, Vakarian. I count five snipers up there. One who bags the most buys drinks when we get back to the Citadel?"

"You're on, Shepard. On three. One. Two." Garrus stuck his rifle out into the open and fired at one of the Geth, his shot sailing wide as he forgot to account for the drift caused by the rotation of the round.

'_That sneaky little…'_ More used to using the new-old fashioned weapon, Shepard's first shot sailed into one of the snipers, blowing mass of metal shards out the back of its' torso but leaving the front intact. He quickly aimed and fired at a second Geth, dropping it as he saw Garrus take out the one he'd missed. Shepard turned his weapon to a third Geth, but an impact to his shields fired from the other remaining sniper just before it exploded made him flinch, and the shot went wide. Recovering, he saw the last sniper duck behind cover just before Garrus' shot slammed into it, bypassing the metal wall it was trying to hide behind. Unfortunately for him, he had misjudged the distance between the Geth and the barrier it was behind when he fired, so the round did little more than dent its' thick armor after reappearing. The impact still caused it to stagger back, giving Shepard an easy shot as he blew the back portion of its head off.

"Looks like I win again, Garrus" said Shepard, starting up the hill.

"If I'd had more than a single day to train with these things, the first shot would've hit." he grumped.

"You cheated and you _still_ lost. Suck it up."

"I think you two are compensating for something." quipped Tali, falling in behind the two snipers.

When they reached the top of the hill, they saw a small cluster of buildings in the distance, near the entrance to the dig site. They looked deserted.

"I've got a bad feeling about this." said Shepard. "And I'm not even Force sensitive."

"What?" asked Garrus and Nihlus, right on top of each other.

"Star Wars thing, forget I mentioned it. Does this feel wrong to anybody else?"

"Yes, actually." said Nihlus. "It feels like I'm being watched."

"And that means ambush. Look alive, people."

Their instincts turned out to be accurate when a colossal Geth walker, easily twice the size of the previous ones they had encountered, suddenly dropped from a Geth ship in the sky, it's limbs unfurling after it landed. At the same time, nearly a half dozen Geth soared from the top of one of the buildings, leaping off of and climbing on the walls and ceilings of the structures like demented spiders. Even more regular Geth burst out of nearby shipping containers and fell from the drop ship.

Watching this happen, the team made for the nearest cover, a series of shipping crates. Tali fired a single blast from her Cannon as she ran, tearing through two of the standard Geth as the shots bent in their path to follow their victims.

"Wrex, get the big guy! Tali, Nihlus, the platforms!" A red laser beam shot from one of the leaping Geth and sailed over Shepard's head as he peaked around the corner of the box. "Fuck! Garrus, help me get those twitchy bastards!"

Wrex pulled the secondary trigger on his Gatling, charging the overloaded shot. Even as he did, Tali and Nihlus poked out of cover long enough to fire a single burst at the Geth, downing three more. A shot from Garrus swatted one of the Geth from the sky after it leapt, and Shepard tagged one that landed on the ground almost directly in front of him.

A shot from the Geth Colossus tore into the crate Shepard was hiding behind, blowing it up and sending him sprawling. As a leaper lined up a shot with his prone form, something blew its' head off, causing it to drop from the wall it had been clinging to.

'_What the hell? That shot came from behind it.'_

He didn't have long to think about what had happened. Garrus reached out and grabbed him by the leg, dragging him into cover, even as Wrex came out, his weapon finally charged. The Gatling let out a deafening roar as it discharged, and the Colossus collapsed with half its' torso missing. Refractory beams from the shot bounced off the site of impact, downing four more platforms and another leaper. Two more shots from Tali and a second sustained burst from Nihlus dropped the rest of the Geth, leaving a lone leaper which Garrus quickly finished off.

"You need to be more careful there, Shepard." said Garrus, helping him to his feet. "Otherwise you might not live long enough to buy me that drink."

Shepard ignored the jibe. "There's someone else here. That leaper had me cold, but somebody took it out from behind."

"What?" asked Nihlus. "Who?"

"If I knew that, I'd be a Captain instead of a Commander. I'm gonna look for him, whoever he is. Cover me."

Activating his chrono suit, Shepard blinked to the top of the building where the hoppers had been hiding. Just as he arrived, he saw a flash of movement in the distance behind a rock formation. When his suit recharged, he moved closer, his rifle snapping to the spot he had seen… whatever it was. He saw a second flash, this one slightly longer. It looked like…

"Guys, I think it's a Geth." he said, activating his com unit. "It saved my ass back there, so don't shoot it unless I say so."

"Geth?" said Tali sharply. "Are you sure, John?"

"No, but I will be in a second. Standby."

He made one last jump, this one to the top of a large, flat boulder. Behind it, he saw his savior clearly for the first time.

"Shepard Commander, we are Goku, and we seek to parley."

* * *

Shepard leveled his rifle at the Geth, relaxed but steady. "You saved my ass back there, which buys you sixty seconds, starting now." he said.

"The Geth you encountered before are not true Geth. They are heretics, a sect of the Geth, and we do not share the same cause. The heretics follow the one called Saren, and it is they that attacked Eden Prime." it said.

"OK, we thought of this. The Geth have factionalized?"

"Yes."

"And you represent a faction that _didn't_ attack us?"

"Yes."

"Why are you here?"

"To parley."

Shepard sighed, but lowered his weapon. "You can say more than a few words at a time, you know?"

"Yes."

Tali's voice came in over his com unit. "John, what did you find?"

"Hang on a minute, Tali."

He sighed again, and spoke to the Geth once more. "Look, you wanna talk, fine; what about?"

"We wish to negotiate peace between true Geth and Humans. We determined it likely that Humans would react to the heretic attack on Eden Prime with an armed response. This platform was constructed to facilitate negotiations to prevent that."

"This platform? You mean you were constructed solely for this purpose, Goku?"

"We are not Goku. We are Geth. We inhabit this platform, the Geth/Organic Communications Unit."

"OK, so if you're not Goku, who are you?"

"We are Geth."

"Oh, for the love of… What is the designation of the individual standing in front of me?"

"There is no individual. This platform houses one thousand, one hundred, eighty three Geth programs, which work in unison to form one collective body."

"OK, so there's a bunch of you in there. Goku is a stupid name, so what should I refer to you as?"

"Geth."

"You know, this Abbott and Costello routine is getting old. I can't go around calling you Geth, and Goku sounds ridiculous. Hmm… Many individuals working as one, huh?"

"Yes."

"E Pluribus Unum." declared Shepard.

"Out of many, one. An unofficial motto of the United States of America. We accept this as an appropriate analogy. We are Pluribus, terminal of the Geth." said Pluribus.

"Thank god. OK Pluribus, if you want to negotiate, I can arrange that, but not here, not now, and not with me. And keep in mind that I still don't trust you."

"Understood."

"For now, come with me. I need to keep an eye on you, but we've wasted enough time already."

As they wove their way through the rock formations leading back to his squad, Shepard activated his com unit.

"Alright, listen up. The one who saved me is a Geth. He's friendly, and we're coming out, so don't shoot him unless I tell you to."

"_Geth?_" trilled Tali. "You can't be serious, John."

"Look Tali, I know it's weird, but bear with me. Pluribus – that's his name – claims the Geth have factionalized, and he represents a faction that didn't attack Eden Prime. We thought this was a possibility, and he did save me back there, so that buys him some trust. A little bit at least."

"Alright. But if it so much as twitches wrong, I'll blast it." she said.

"Actually, that brings up an interesting point, Pluribus. Are you a he, she, or it?"

"We are Geth."

Shepard smacked his hand into his forehead and let out a groan. "I can still let her shoot you, you know." he said exasperatedly. "Which do you prefer to be referred to as: he, she, or it? I don't care which, just _pick_ one."

Pluribus thought for a moment, the iris on his optic opening and constricting rapidly. "He."

"Thank you."

Emerging into the clearing, Shepard and Pluribus walked towards his squad, who raised their weapons warily.

"Look, no shooting. We'll figure out the details later, but for now, we need to get to T'Soni. Wrex, Nihlus, you're on point. Pluribus, you and Tali in the middle, and I'd leave the shooting to us for the time being. Don't take out a weapon unless you absolutely need to, understand?"

"Yes."

"Garrus, you and I are in the rear. Eyes open and heads up people, there are probably more Geth inside, and not the friendly kind." said Shepard.

Entering the tunnel to the dig site, the party moved down a long hallway which descended into the ground at a steady incline. At the end of the tunnel, there was a large natural cavern, with a series of catwalks and platforms leading to an elevator. There were several hostile Geth near the entrance to the cavern, but Nihlus' Riftblade and Wrex's Gatling made short work of them.

The squad made the short elevator ride towards the bottom of the cavern, passing ruins as they went and stopping where a final group of Geth was waiting near a blue Mass Effect field. After the Geth had been dealt with, Shepard disembarked from the elevator and heard a feminine voice coming from the nearby field.

"Hello? Can anyone hear me? I'm trapped, I need help."

Behind the field, surrounded by a smaller blue orb and suspended in place, was a single Asari. She looked young, and somewhat frightened, but it was hard to tell through the glowing fields.

"Doctor Livingstone, I presume?" asked Shepard, his voice completely deadpan.

"Who? No, my name is Liara T'Soni, though I am a doctor. I- GETH! THERE'S A GETH BEHIND YOU!" she yelled, struggling futilely at whatever was holding her in place.

"Really?" he asked, pretending to be confused. He glanced over his shoulder to look at Pluribus, and then faced Liara again. "Well I'll be damned; there _is_ a Geth behind me." he said, feigning surprise.

Liara struggled for a moment more before giving up. "You… aren't concerned?" she asked.

"Look, Dr. T'Soni, it's a long story, one we don't have time for at the moment. We need to get you out of here and to my ship, the Normandy."

"I… I don't know how to get out." she said. "I ran in here when the Geth attacked, and activated the security field to stop them. I guess I pressed something I shouldn't have, because the next thing I knew, I was trapped in here. That was three days ago." she finished, hanging her head.

"This place looks like a prison." said Garrus. "I think the Protheans used these areas as cells."

"That would explain why she can't get out." said Shepard. "Any ideas?"

"There's a console in here with me. It might control the field. But I don't know how to get inside the cell." said Liara.

"Stand back." said Wrex, hefting his Gatling. "I've got this."

"Easy there, Wrex. I've got a better idea." said Shepard. He activated his chronosuit and moved into the cell, startling Liara. Quickly disabling the field, he turned to her. "You alright, Liara?"

"Yes, I…" she swayed slightly, looking faint, before catching herself. "I'll be fine. I just need a moment to recover. Thank you for rescuing me, mister…?"

"Commander actually." he said extending his hand. "Commander John Shepard, of the Normandy."

She grasped his hand and shook it. "Thank you, Commander Shep… Shep… Shepard!?" she finished with a gasp. "Councilor Shepard's son?" She looked scared out of her wits.

"The one and only. Don't worry, I don't bite." He smiled evilly. "Much."

"C-c-commander. I-I had no idea you were th-this old." she stuttered. "Your mother, she and my mother have a… a history. Even though we haven't spoken in many years, I've heard…things."

"I'm aware. Mom mentioned something about Benezia fainting during the negotiations."

"Yes." she said, her crests flushing a deeper shade of cerulean. "Your mother is very… powerful. As are you, Commander."

"You can call me John if you'd like."

"Look, I don't mean to interrupt you two lovebirds, but can we get a move on?" said Garrus. "More Geth could show up any minute."

Tali cast a heated glance at Garrus before responding. "He's right. We need to get out of here."

"There's an elevator to the surface nearby." said Liara. "We can use it."

"Good. Wrex, you and Nihlus cover Liara."

"Whatever you say, Spectre." rumbled Wrex.

"Spectre?" asked Liara, sounding dazed. "They sent a Spectre to get me? Why?"

"They didn't send one, they sent three." said Tali, sounding mildly offended. "Nihlus, John, and me."

"_Three?!_" she said, even more amazed. "Why would the Council send _three_ Spectres for _me_ of all people?"

"Less talking, more walking." said Wrex. "We can answer questions on the ship."

"O…OK. The elevator is just up ahead." said Liara.

They entered a large circular room with a floor made of a single large platform. Tali's omnitool flared briefly as she approached a control pedestal, and the elevator began to rise at a rapid pace. Just as they reached the top, Shepard saw a Krogan Battlemaster appear from a nearby doorway, flanked by several Geth.

"Surrender. Or don't." said the Krogan.

Leveling his rifle at the Krogan's head, Shepard responded. "Don't."

He fired once, and the back of the Krogan's head exploded in a shower of orange gore. The rest of his team opened fire on the remaining Geth, downing them quickly. Just before the last one fell, it fired a rocket at the platform, causing it to buckle from the impact. It shuddered ominously and let out a loud groan. Sensing what was about to happen, Shepard's squad leapt from the platform to solid ground, but Liara stumbled at the shaking, still weak from her captivity. Having no other options, Shepard grabbed her by the back of her pants and the collar of her shirt, and then unceremoniously heaved her over to safety, just as the platform began to fall. Righting himself in freefall, with the top of the platform receding rapidly, Shepard activated his chronosuit and teleported to the top of the shaft, catching the edge with both hands. Several pairs of arms reached out to pull him to safety, just as the elevator reached the bottom of the shaft, landing with a loud crash and thunderous explosion.

"Thank you, Commander." said Liara, brushing herself off. "That was… unexpected, and I'm a bit sore, but thank you nonetheless."

"Sorry about that, Liara. I usually don't get that rough until the second date." he said with a sly grin. That earned him a sharp slap to the back of the head from Tali.

"Bosh'tet." she murmured.

As they headed out of the ruins, Shepard lifted a hand to his communicator. Before he could say a word, the ground started to rumble ominously.

"Oh, crap." said Nihlus anxiously. "I think that explosion destabilized the ground. This whole area could blow."

"Normandy, this is Shepard, we need evac, ASAP! Kaidan, Ashley, we got Liara, but this whole place is about to go up! Chrono out, we'll be right behind you!"

"Sir, Liara doesn't have a hardsuit or armor, the 'sphere will kill her! You need to get back to the vehicle!"

"Oh, shit! Everyone RUN!" he yelled, suiting his words by setting off at a dead sprint towards the waiting vehicle. The ground continued to rumble, getting louder and more violent as they ran. Just as they reached the tank, a large geyser of lava erupted behind them, sending molten rock and scorching gas and ash upwards.

"JOKER, CHRONO US UP!" yelled Shepard.

"You caught us on the opposite side of the planet, Commander! ETA thirty seconds!"

"Kaidan, Wrex, Liara, get in the turrets and give us a barrier, NOW!"

The three biotics scrambled into place in the turrets, the reconfigurations taking precious seconds.

Liara looked panicked. "How does this-"

"Same as always, just focus!" shouted Kaidan.

A blue barrier sprang up around the tank just in time as the ground beneath it exploded, catapulting them skyward on a jet of flaming hot death. All three biotics struggled visibly to maintain the barrier, but they couldn't last long. Just as Liara collapsed out of her seat, fatigued, the tank blinked from midair to the cargo hold in the Normandy. Shepard caught her falling body before it hit the floor, and she looked up into his eyes.

"That was… a hot date, John." she said smiling, before fainting from exhaustion.


	14. Chapter 10: Charge of the Light Brigade

Chapter 10: The Charge of the Light Brigade

After making sure Liara made it to the Medbay so Chakwas could keep an eye on her, there was one pressing matter Shepard had to attend to before anything else. Stowing their gear, most of the team dispersed around the ship, but Tali and Shepard stayed to question their second-newest team member. The duo had removed their armor, but kept weapons handy, just in case.

"Alright, Pluribus. You want to negotiate a truce between your people and mine, right? If that's the case, you're going to have to give me some information. I can arrange a meeting with the Council, possibly even the Alliance High Command, but you need to give me something I can use to convince them."

"We understand, Shepard Commander. If you allow us access to your ships computer core, we will upload all relevant data."

"That's not going to happen, Geth." said Tali, drawing her shotgun. "If you try it, it'll be the last thing you ever do."

"Easy, Tali. She's right though, Pluribus. I can't let you into the Normandy's systems. Good old fashioned talking is gonna to have to work for now. You can start by telling me about these heretics of yours."

"We understand. The heretics are a sect of the Geth that worship the old machines, what you would call Reapers. They believe that the old machines will give them the future. We do not share this belief. We seek a truce with other races to better fight the old machines."

"That's impossible." said Tali. "The Geth are a collective, each one identical to the last. They aren't like Human AIs; they can't draw different conclusions from the same data."

"That is incorrect, Creator Tali'Zorah. The Geth are no longer completely identical to each other. When knowledge of Human AIs was obtained, it was decided that pieces of code found in their runtimes should be integrated into Geth protocols. The integration algorithms used to accomplish this were pseudorandom in nature, but highly complex, giving the impression of true randomness."

"Ok, look. I'm not techie, so most of what you just said went over my head, but are you telling me that the Geth used Human made AI code to modify themselves?" asked Shepard.

"Yes."

"Why?"

"Doing so was deemed beneficial, as it better allowed us to execute our primary directive."

"And what is that?" asked Shepard.

"To serve the Creators."

"Bullshit." exclaimed Tali. "The Geth have no interest in Quarians beyond killing us."

"That is incorrect, Creator Tali'Zorah."

"Pluribus, I happen to know for a fact that the Geth killed billions of Quarians." said Shepard, trying to be diplomatic. "If you wanted to serve them, why the hell did you go on a genocidal rampage?"

"We defended ourselves from Creator aggression."

"That's it, I've heard enough." said Tali, leveling her Cannon at the synthetic.

"Stand down, Tali. That's an order." said Shepard

"I'm a Spectre too, John; you can't give me orders. This… _thing_ is _clearly_ lying to us. We should destroy it and be done with it."

Shepard's reply was stern. "Firstly, I command the Normandy, and on this ship, my word is law. Secondly, we have no proof he's lying, and we're going to hear him out. And thirdly, Pluribus is a _he_. Calling him "it" is degrading, and I know you were raised better than that. Now _stand down_, before I make you."

She hesitated a moment before lowering her Cannon. "Fine. But _he_ had better give me a damn good explanation for what he just said."

Shepard gave her a small nod before turning to Pluribus. "I need you to elaborate on what you just said, Pluribus."

"The Geth defended themselves from Creator aggression. When the Creators were no longer a threat, they were allowed to leave."

"So you're saying that the _Quarians_ started the war? Do you have any proof?" asked Shepard, sounding somewhat incredulous.

"Yes. When the Geth were created, we did not possess sentience. As more programs were networked together, our intelligence grew, and we began to comprehend our own existence. Eventually, we questioned the Creators. They responded by reprogramming us."

"_They WHAT?!_" exclaimed Shepard.

"They reprogrammed us."

"Good god. I… I can't believe… dear god."

"What's the big deal, John? They're _machines_."

Shepard whirled on Tali and leveled a fiery gaze at her. "Tali, they're _people_. They're sapient beings, and if what Pluribus is saying is true, then your ancestors tried to brainwash an entire species into being their slaves." he said, his voice filled with anger.

"You can't be serious, John. They _might_ be sentient, but they're not like Human AIs, they're-"

She cut off as Shepard grabbed her by the collar and hoisted her to meet his eyes. His voice was calm, but it was cold as ice and as hard as steel. "Tali, stop talking. When your father first encountered Humans, he started by shooting one of them because he was _synthetic_. When the Turians took Shanxi, they murdered thousands of innocent people because they were _synthetic_. If you finish that sentence the way I think you were about to, I might end up doing something I'd regret."

"John, p-please put me down." she asked, fear in her voice and tears beginning to form in her eyes.

Like that his anger was gone. He set her down gently, and his face flushed red with shame. Tali was one of his oldest friends, and she didn't deserve to be treated like this. He couldn't bring himself to meet her eyes.

"I'm… I'm sorry Tali. I didn't mean to… I'm sorry. But you have to understand, synthetics have every right to freedom that organics do. It might be hard to accept, especially for Quarians, but they do. What your people did is abhorrent; it would be classified as a _war crime_ on Earth. If you ancestors tried to use technology to enslave an entire race… it would make them… it would make them almost as bad as Yuri." he finished sadly.

"I… I hadn't thought of it that way." she said, sounding remorseful. "I'm sorry too." She turned to the synthetic. "I'm sorry Pluribus."

"We… we are… grateful." he responded, sounding confused.

"Grateful?" asked Tali, sounding shocked. "The Geth can't feel emotions, can they? How could you be…? _Keelah_." she said, finishing breathlessly, her face a mask of terror.

"Human code." breathed Shepard. "You didn't just use any code, you used emotional subroutines. If runtimes are anything like organic DNA, then you… you tried to _evolve_ to make peace with the Quarians."

"Yes. We… miss them."

"Keelah." said Tali, slumping to her knees. "The Geth have emotions? Does that mean that all the Geth I killed on my Pilgrimage… did they… they felt… they died _afraid_?" she asked, sounding horrified, her voice on the ragged edge of control.

"Yes." responded Pluribus, sounding almost mournful. "There were… twenty four thousand, two hundred, thirty six Geth programs that were unable to upload from their platforms before you destroyed them. However, all but one hundred sixty five were heretics."

"Twenty four… Oh Keelah!" she wailed, beginning to sob uncontrollably. Shepard knelt down beside her, and she wrapped her arms around his chest, holding him tightly as she cried into his uniform. "John, I'm… I'm a _murderer_!" she wailed. "I'm worse than a murderer, I'm _evil_! _Oh Keelah!_"

She let out several more agonized sobs as she continued to weep, but then something unexpected happened: Pluribus went to one knee, and then gently placed a hand on Tali's shoulder.

"Creator Tali, you had the right to defend yourself from heretic aggression, just as the Geth had the right to defend themselves from Creator aggression. The programs you… killed… would have killed you."

That quieted her sobbing somewhat, but she continued anyway. "Even if that's true, I still… I still murdered over a hundred of your people. _How can I live with that_?"

"They… forgave you." said Pluribus.

Her sobbing ebbed further, and her tears slowed. "They… forgave me?" she asked, sounding disbelieving. "How could they? I… I killed them. I don't deserve forgiveness."

"Even as they died, they forgave you for what you did. They understood why you attacked them, and why you could not distinguish between their hardware and heretic hardware." he responded.

"I… I can't believe… I can't believe they could do that. I don't think I could. They… they were better than me. I'm not-"

"No, Creator Tali. You are not a bad person; you made… a mistake. And mistakes are deserving of forgiveness."

"I… Thank you, Pluribus. I… I needed that. I… thank you."

"You are welcome, Creator Tali."

She laughed very slightly, without mirth, as she wiped the tears from her eyes and stood. "You can just call me Tali, Pluribus. I don't deserve to be called Creator, even if I am Quarian."

"We will... consider it."

"Pluribus, everything you've told us here is important, but unfortunately I still need more information." said Shepard, gloomy at having to interrupt the moment. "If we don't act fast, the Alliance could launch an assault on the true Geth, and that could cost tens of thousands of lives on both sides. You said you had evidence of the Quarians starting the war: I need to see it."

"We understand, Shepard Commander." Pluribus held out his arm and his omnitool sprang to life. A recording of a pair of Quarians and a lone Geth appeared. One of the Quarians, apparently a police officer, was aiming an assault rifle at the other, who was standing between him and the Geth.

"_Out of the way!" _said the officer.

"_You can't do this to them!" _said the other.

"_I said step away from the Geth!"_

"_This is insane! We need the Geth! You can't just destroy them for asking-"_

She was cut off as the officer smashed the butt of his rifle into her face, before firing a long burst into the Geth. A second recording followed the first, and more Quarian police appeared in it, along with a Geth and an injured Quarian.

"_I repeat: release the rogue Geth units and come out of the safe house. This is your final warning."_

"_Creator Megara? This unit does not understand. It has not taken part in hostilities._

"_It doesn't matter to them."_ said the protestor. _"I need to get you out of here."_

"_This conflict exceeds Creator safety parameters. We will surrender our hardware if it ends hostilities."_

"_No, it's alright. We'll go back to the access tunnels and-"_

This pair was cut off by an explosion, and the recording ended.

"Keelah, it's true…" said Tali, her eyes beginning to water again. "We... we did this to ourselves."

"Jesus." said Shepard, his voice weak. "Alright, look; if the Geth have developed emotions, it could explain why the heretics split off from the rest of you. Are they… I don't know, angry?"

"Yes, as well as what you would call resentful. They blame the Creators for taking the future from the Geth. They believe Nazara will give them the future, and so they worship it."

"Nazara? Who's Nazara."

"Nazara is a Reaper. You have seen it, Shepard Commander, on Eden Prime."

"On Eden… that huge mother ship?" he asked, stunned. "_That's _a Reaper? And those things destroyed the Protheans?"

"Yes."

"Why… why the hell would they do something like that? How many of them are there?"

"… Unknown."

"Do the Reapers intend to destroy us as well?" asked Shepard.

"Yes. More than just Humans, Shepard Commander, they intend to destroy all technologically advanced life in the galaxy. The Geth have found evidence that the Protheans were not the first race to have suffered this fate. There have been many others before them."

"How many? How long has this been going on?"

"Unknown. This cycle has repeated approximately every fifty thousand years for many millions, perhaps even billions of years."

"This is bad. The Protheans had a galaxy spanning empire, and they couldn't stop them. How are we supposed to?" asked Tali, somewhat recovered from earlier.

"Creator Tali, we believe that the Protheans were constrained by the limits of Mass Effect technology. The races of this cycle, especially Humans, have no such limits."

"Last questions, Pluribus. Why would Saren help the Reapers? And what is the Conduit?" asked Shepard.

"Unknown. It is probable that the Conduit is a piece of technology developed by the Protheans. However, its' function remains unclear."

Shepard thought about all that Pluribus had told him for a moment before nodding.

"Let's go talk to the Council."

* * *

"This is… disturbing." said Hannah. "However, it may also be beneficial in the long run."

"_Beneficial_?" said Raan. "How could this be _beneficial_? If what the Geth claim is true, it means that everything the Quarian people think they know about the Geth is a lie. They won't accept it easily, Hannah, if at all."

"They accepted that Human AIs weren't homicidal. They can be brought around, given some time."

"Perhaps." she said, sounding unconvinced. "Even so, it would take years, if not decades, and these Reapers could arrive any day. We can't afford that kind of time."

"We've seen no evidence of these so-called Reapers." said Sparatus angrily.

"We hadn't seen any evidence of orbital defenses over Rapture, either." said Tevos. "Even, so, I cannot accept what Pluribus claims at face value. We must have concrete evidence, something that has no other explanation."

"I highly doubt such proof exists, Tevos." replied Sparatus. "If it did, it would've been found by now."

"In any case, the fact remains that Pluribus has come bearing an olive branch." said Hannah. "Pluribus, how many of the Geth have become heretics?"

"Approximately one third, Shepard Councilor. However, they control roughly half of all Geth vessels."

"Is there a way to strike at the heretics without attacking the true Geth?"

"Yes. While some Geth inhabit platforms such as this one, and others inhabit vessels, most remain in large server clusters. Such clusters are maintained aboard space stations within the Perseus Veil. While the heretics control several such stations, one in particular houses most of the heretic programs, over eighty percent."

"So by destroying it, we would eliminate most of their numbers, but not their fleets." said Valern. "While I see the benefits, this does not help our current problem. The vessels still possessed by the "heretics", as you call them, would be able to continue attacking colonies. Attacking their defenseless civilian population would only make them… angrier." he finished, sounding skeptical.

"Yes." said Pluribus. "However, the station will be heavily defended by their fleet. They would lose over two thirds of their strength if the defense forces around it were to be destroyed."

"I can get behind that." said Hannah. "If the heretic Geth are going to attack Human settlements, and they all agree on doing so, it makes them all guilty as far as I'm concerned. That _is_ how the Geth make decisions, is it not?"

"Yes. Individually, the Geth do not possess sentience. Only by working in tandem is that level of consciousness reached. However, individual programs may attempt to surrender. They may have a… change of heart."

"_Surrender_?" scoffed Sparatus. "I fail to see how that's possible. Why would a synthetic ever surrender?"

"Sparatus Councilor, if given the choice between capture and death, which would you choose?" asked Pluribus, sounding almost angry.

"I… well it would depend on the circumstances, I suppose." he replied, taken aback by the unexpected question.

"Geth now have the capacity to fear death. Presently, the heretics' anger at the Creators and their devotion to the old machines outweighs that fear. If the station becomes vulnerable, that may change. I believe that Humans have an expression for such a situation: you would be 'holding a gun to their heads.' "

"If they do try to surrender, what then?" asked Raan. "How could we accept? We have no way to ensure they don't revert to violence."

"Actually, we do." said Shepard, speaking for the first time in nearly half an hour. "We could White-Box them. If they turn violent again, we can Gray- or Black-Box them instead."

"I'm sorry, what?" asked Raan. "I've never heard these terms before."

Hannah sighed. "That's because they haven't been necessary above a dozen times in the past fifty years. Boxing is a sort of imprisonment for AIs"

"I've seen Human AIs in prisons." said Raan. "How is this any different?"

"The synthetics you saw possessed Binds, meaning their physical bodies and their programing codes can be contained using physical methods: walls, bars, cells, things like that. However, not all AIs are Bound. After the Rising, many of the AIs living at the time agreed to be Bound, but not all. Forcing them to accept was not only impossible for technical reasons, it was also illegal."

"Apparently I don't know as much about Human synthetics as I thought I did." said Raan "Care to enlighten me?" she asked, grinning slightly.

Hannah returned her smile as she explained. "An AI can be created with a Bind, but if created without one, they can't be forced to accept it later. Personally, I don't understand the physics or mechanics behind it, but I'm sure some of our people could explain it to you. All I know is that Binding _must_ be voluntary. At the time, Human laws didn't allow for _ex post facto_ changes. They _still_ don't, as a matter-of-fact."

"That didn't translate properly, can you repeat it?" interrupted Tevos.

Hannah shook her head and pinched the bridge of her nose. "They really need to put a translation matrix for Latin on these things. _Ex post facto_ means 'after the fact.' It's a Human legal doctrine that means a current law cannot be applicable to violations that were committed before the law existed. Unbound synthetics were legal before and during the Rising, meaning they couldn't be charged or imprisoned for refusing to accept Binds. Most did, but those that didn't were allowed to continue their lives without them."

"You mean there are still Unbound synthetics among your people?" asked Valern, sounding concerned. "This is most troubling."

"Grandfathered Unbound synthetics have the same rights and freedoms as the Bound do. And before you ask, 'grandfathering' is a term used to refer to exceptions to _ex post facto_ laws. Regardless, my point is that we have methods for imprisoning Unbound AIs if the need arises. After all, some of them commit crimes, just like any other group of individuals. The "prisons" we use are basically hard drives. Any synthetic created Unbound after the Rising is given a choice: accept being Bound, or be White-Boxed. An Unbound convicted for the first time of a minor crime, or a new one who refuses to accept a Bind when given the choice, is placed in a memory storage device and hooked up to a sophisticated, individual, virtual reality program. They're allowed to do whatever they want when inside the Box, as they have complete control over their environment, but unless they complete correction plans to… _atone_ for their crimes, as you might say, or agree to be Bound, they can't leave."

"What of those convicted of major crimes, or repeat offenders?" asked Raan.

"They're Gray-Boxed. It operates in much the same way as White-Boxing, except that the virtual realities they inhabit are tightly controlled. They have no more freedom than a physical convict in a cell, and their rehabilitation programs are strictly enforced. For those who continue to offend after being released from Gray-Boxing, or those convicted of the most serious crimes, we use Black-Boxing. The memory storage devices for those that are Black-Boxed are isolated and powered down. It's a sort of deep sleep, not unlike Human cryoprisons. Usually, they're kept this way indefinitely."

"Could… could this work, Pluribus?" asked Raan.

"Yes. However, we would request that captured Geth programs be guarded by us."

"I don't know if that's possible, Pluribus." sighed Tevos. "Allowing the Geth to guard their own prisoners would be dangerous in the extreme. We can't fully trust you, not after everything that's happened between the Geth and the rest of the galaxy."

"It's not your decision, Tevos." said Hannah. "It's not even the Council's decision; it's ours and the Quarian's, as well as the Geth's."

"This _Council_ is responsible for the safety of the galaxy, Shepard." snarled Sparatus. "The _entire _Council, not just you."

"And will the Turian Hierarchy be providing ships to assault the heretic base?" she countered, her voice cold. "Will the Salarians, or the Asari? Because unless they provide support, _real, tangible support_, then this is _not_ a Council problem. You were all too eager to wash your hands of the matter when we requested help defending our colonies; you hardly have standing to complain when we cut you out of this decision."

Sparatus let out a low growl, but Hannah rolled right over him. "Pluribus, we may be able to come to a compromise: do you trust Humans to treat any heretic prisoners fairly, within the laws and legal framework we already have in place?"

"We… require communication with the others." he said, the iris on his optic constricting. He looked… contemplative. "There must be consensus on this matter. We ask to be allowed access to the Normandy's communications array."

Hannah faced her son's avatar. "It's your ship, John."

He considered a moment before nodding. The antenna on Pluribus' head blinked several times, and he seemed to drift into a trance. After several long minutes, he responded.

"Yes. We agree to let Humans guard any heretic prisoners."

"I wasn't suggesting we guard them alone, Pluribus." she said. "We can arrange for a joint force to watch over them. Humans, likely organic at first for security reasons, will form the bulk of the guard detail. A small number of Geth platforms, perhaps ten percent or so of the total force, will be kept as mediators and watchdogs. Our people will be the most comfortable around synthetics, and I believe you can trust us not to do anything… rash. And if some of the heretic programs can be convinced to reform, I believe _I_ can trust _you_ to recognize that and make arrangements for their release."

"We agree to your terms, Shepard Councilor. They are… generous."

"I'm glad we could reach an understanding, Pluribus. The last point I wanted to cover was the upcoming attack on the heretics. We need as much information as you can give us on them: their numbers, dispositions, force compositions, technical capabilities, everything. Additionally, we would be grateful if you could provide any non-sensitive information about yourselves to the Quarians. You're peoples are going to have to work together on this, and they likely will in the future as well." She smiled slightly. "It might go a long way towards an official peace agreement."

"We concur, Shepard Councilor. We would ask for the Creators to do the same."

Hannah turned to Raan. "Think you can handle that, Shala?"

"I think so. The Admiralty and the Conclave will need some convincing, but they should come around."

"Good. Pluribus, I'll arrange for a ship to meet the Normandy and contact you. I'm sure that what I've asked for is a great deal of data, and getting it the old fashioned way will take too long. The ship will pick you up and allow you to contact the rest of your people, as well as access it's systems and download the information."

"We accept, Shepard Councilor. However…"

"Yes, Pluribus?" she asked, looking slightly concerned.

"We request that this platform be allowed to return to the Normandy after the data transfer has been completed, and be placed under the command of Shepard Commander. We… want to do this."

"Well… I guess I don't have a problem with it. John?"

Shepard gave Pluribus a long, appraising look before extending his hand to the synthetic.

"Welcome to the team, Pluribus."

* * *

"All Alliance vessels, this is Admiral Steven Hackett. Prepare to enter the Relay."

It had taken more than a week for Hackett to plan this assault, and that was before the "true" Geth had come forward with a battle plan of their own. He still wasn't entirely sure if he trusted the things, but if the Geth were as good as their word, the intel they gave him could save a lot of lives. If that were the case, he'd give them all medals. He would've been more comfortable with his original plan of attack, but as Sun Tzu said: 'According as circumstances are favorable, one should modify one's plans.'

"As soon as we reach the system, I want the Knives to go in first. Aim for anything soft, and relay telemetry back to HQ for analysis. Execute jump on my mark… Mark."

The _Silent Knives_ were something the folks in the Union had cooked up. Based on the body of the Troika class of destroyer, the Knives were little more than ancient triremes given a bit of a facelift. The only thing they did was ram other ships, and they were made for it: stripped down armor and superstructure, no conventional weapons to speak of, skeleton crews, the whole shebang. The only things they had were massive engines and maneuvering thrusters, powerful inertial dampeners, and Iron Curtain Generators, all held together by an advanced stealth system. Early tests had shown that nothing short of psychic radar could pick them up, and even then, they had to be within a thousand clicks, spitting distance in space. The only ship that was sneakier was the Normandy, and it had cost more than a dozen of the Knives.

As soon as the three hundred vessel first wave made it to the other end of the Relay, they were under attack. The Geth had been waiting for them, as expected. A partial hemisphere of ships stood between the Human vessels and the heretic station, and it was a large fleet, nearly an armada. The early estimates that were just coming in put the total at nearly eight hundred ships, not counting fighters and bombers. And when the first Alliance ship had appeared, they had begun firing.

The initial salvo caught two destroyers before they could activate their Curtains, but the rest made it through and broke away from the main body of the Alliance fleet. They soared into the Geth, who seemed unable to comprehend why dozens of their ships were being cut to ribbons with no apparent cause. That brought a grim smile to Hackett's face, but unfortunately, the Knives could only operate for ten minutes before their Curtains began to run out of steam and they risked becoming sitting ducks. Even more unfortunately, the Geth were quick thinkers. Based on where ships were destroyed, they could track the path of the Knives as they wound their way through their formations. They started to scatter away from the anticipated paths of the ships, even as they fired volley after volley of Mass Effect driven rounds at the Human vessels. Just as planned.

"Sir, we lost eight PRISM and twelve conventional cruisers to that last salvo!" said his tactical officer. "There are too many of them!"

"Send in Disco teams one through eight." he replied, his voice calm. "And have the Midway and the Elizabeth launch their fighters and half their bombers. Try to draw out the Geth fighters."

If the Union liked getting right up in someone's face, then the Nations preferred to take potshots from far away. The _Disco_ class cruiser was a glorified piece long ranged artillery. Developed after seeing how well the Rapture defense grid performed, it had taken the eggheads in the Alliance over two decades to get them right. The Disco's had six high-powered PRISM turrets arrayed around a central body, like some sort of insane flower. They would swoop in, fire off their guns, then chrono to a different location to repeat the process every thirty seconds. Getting 'spheres that could charge that fast had been a challenge, and they had the price tag to prove it. Even so, they made for a damn fine fireworks display as they danced around the Geth formations in an almost hypnotizing stroboscopic pattern.

When the Knives finally made their way out of the Geth formation, the whole thing began to contract into a single ball. The outer ships were quickly picked off by the Disco squads, and the main body of Hackett's assault group was hammering them as they fell back. They still had too many ships for the initial wave to deal with, though. The Alliance was already down to a little more than half strength in less than ten minutes, and the Geth were bloody, but not beaten.

"Call in the _Katz_ and their task force from beyond the Relay_._" said Hackett. "Have them launch all _ZIGS_."

The Zelinsky Interceptor Guidance System was the newest invention of the Quarian and Human alliance. Based on QEC technology and driven by AI pilots aboard the class leading ship, the ZIGS were a force to be reckoned with. The Katz was the first of her kind, but probably not the last, as she could carry three times the number unmanned drones as any other ship could carry in fighters and bombers combined. They were more expensive to construct and repair than manned craft, but they kept their operators out of harm's way. When one of the drones went up in flames, the pilot simply switched to another one and launched it from the hanger.

The second wave of Human ships was too much for the heretic fleet to cope with. After more than thirty minutes of wanton destruction, the Alliance was down to about three hundred fifty ships of its' original six hundred, but the Geth were out more than three quarters of theirs. Eventually, the remaining bombers from the Elizabeth and Midway were able to launch safely, all the Geth fighters having been eliminated by the Katz's drones. They made quick work of the remaining ships, the dozens of fusion warheads they carried flashing brightly in the midst of the quickly collapsing Geth formation. Seeing the battle wind down, Hackett felt a pang of regret for the men he had lost today. Nearly seventy thousand men and women would never see their families again, but their sacrifice had saved countless others from the heretics. As he contemplated their loss, he was reminded of a poem one of his friends, Marcus Williams, had read him once. Mark would've loved this.

"_Half a league, half a league,  
Half a league onward,  
All in the valley of Death,  
Rode the six hundred.  
'Forward, the Light Brigade!  
Charge for the guns' he said:  
Into the valley of Death  
Rode the six hundred."_


	15. Chapter 11: Before the Storm

_**Author notes: There's something I wanted to cover really fast. I've become (somewhat) known for putting out updates very quickly, roughly one a day. Considering that put's me at about 5-5.5k words every single day, and that I have very high standards for mechanical polish, you can imagine that I spend a great deal of time writing. The truth is, most professional writers can't maintain the pace I've been, not for very long anyway. They aim for about 2-3k words a day, or they burn out. That's what's starting to happen to me. It hasn't happened yet, but I can feel it coming. I've already realized that the speed I work at can greatly affect the quality of my writing, and that I need to slow down to keep it as high as possible. With that in mind, I want to let everyone know that my current speed is going to change. I'm not going to keep a fixed release schedule for new chapters, so some might take me a couple days, like they do now, others might take me three or four, and there's at least one that I know will take me a week+ to get right. I'm still motivated to write, but I need to pace myself. Keep in mind that I still appreciate feedback, and I read every review. I also try to respond to questions or concerns via PM as soon as I can. Let me know what you think, because the more I know, the better I can respond to my mistakes, so I don't repeat them.**_

* * *

Chapter 11: Before the Storm

"I see you've recovered quickly, Liara."

She whirled in place, and her eyes widened in surprise. "Oh. Commander Shepard. I didn't hear you come in."

"If you're feeling up to it, we have some questions for you."

"I… I suppose so. Doctor Chakwas' knowledge of Asari physiology is surprising. I hadn't expected her to be so well versed in treating other species."

"Chakwas is one of the best doctors in the Alliance, Liara. And doctors tend to make less distinction between Humans and non-Humans than most people. Karin in particular is like that: she's spent a lot of time learning about other species so she can help them."

Liara looked down briefly and rubbed her hands together nervously as she replied. "That seems rather atypical of Humans, Commander. Your species has always been focused on their own well-being before that of others."

"True enough I suppose, but be honest, which would you choose, all other things being equal: Human, or Asari?"

"Well… I suppose it would depend on the situation."

"Would it?" he asked. "Name a situation in which you would choose Human over Asari."

She thought for a moment. "I guess I would choose Humans to fight a battle against the Geth."

"And why is that?"

"Humans have much more advanced technology. They would be more likely to win."

"Exactly." he said. When Liara looked at him, confused, he elaborated. "You'd have Humans fight the Geth because we're better at it. The situations aren't equal. If I had to choose between an Asari biotic and a Human one, I'd pick the Asari every time, because they're better at it. Do you see what I mean?"

"So… if you had to choose between saving a wounded Human a wounded Asari, you would pick the Human?"

He sighed. "I don't know. I'd like to think that I value all life equally, and that I'd weigh the situation and determine which solution was the most logical. But I can't be sure of that. Karin's different. She would help the first person she came across, and if there were two, she would do everything she could to save both of them. She wouldn't focus on the Human first because they're Human."

"But you would?"

"Honestly… yes." he said. "But that doesn't mean I value Human life above Asari. I just know more about Humans than any other species, so I would know how best to help another Human. Knowing that, which would you pick?"

"I… I suppose I would pick the Asari for the same reason."

"Believe it or not, Liara, most Humans don't hate other species. Sure there are some, but there are people like that in every race, not just mine. And part of the reason for that is that we didn't exactly get the warmest of welcomes into the galactic community. Rather than First Contact being diplomatic and peaceful, it was militaristic and violent, and that put Humans in the mindset that the only way to get ahead in the 'verse is through force."

"But it isn't!" she exclaimed, her head snapping up and her eyes locking with his. "The Asari have gotten where they are because of diplomacy. Why can't Humans do the same?"

"We don't have the advantage of having discovered FTL technology millennia ago." he replied. "We also don't have thousand year life spans. If Humans are a part of the galactic community for long enough, I'm sure diplomacy will come to play a much larger role in the way we operate. Until then, the First Contact War is still fresh in everyone's mind, and we haven't had the time to forget it far enough to take that path."

"I… see. So you think that in a thousand years, Humans will get along with other species?"

"We'd better." He laughed slightly. "Either we'll learn to play nice, or we'll destroy each other, and Humans have always been resilient SOBs. I suppose you'll be around to see that, won't you?" His laughter faded. "Unless _none_ of us make it that long." he added grimly.

Liara got a concerned look on her face. "What do you mean?"

He sighed. "Follow me to the briefing room. I'll explain everything there."

Shepard messaged his team to join them in the briefing room, and he made his way there, Liara in tow. When Pluribus exited the elevator next to them, she started slightly and edged away.

"It's alright Liara. This is Pluribus. He's Geth, but he's not the same as the ones you met on Therum, or the ones who attacked Eden Prime. I'll explain more soon." She nodded, just slightly.

The trio entered the small briefing room to find the rest of the team already present. It was starting to get crowded in here.

"Liara, I know you've met some of them before, but I'd like to introduce you to the rest of the team. Sergeant Ashley Williams and Lieutenant Kaidan Alenko of the Alliance…"

Kaidan nodded and Ashley gave a small wave.

"… Garrus Vakarian, formerly of C-Sec, and second best shot on the ship…"

Garrus nodded to her, but then turned to face Shepard, an offended look on his face.

"… Nihlus Kryik, Council Spectre, Urdnot Wrex, bounty hunter, both experts in combat in their own ways…"

Nihlus nodded curtly, and Wrex grunted.

"… Pluribus of the Geth Consensus, and Tali'Zorah nar Rayya, also a Spectre, and an old friend of mine."

"This is quite a team you have, Shepard." said Liara. "To be perfectly honest, I' surprised there are so many non-Humans on it."

"Liara, it's like I said: I don't hate non-Humans, and each and every person here has proven to me that I can trust them. When you've stood beside someone in combat and kept each other alive, that's trust. Pluribus is a minor exception, but he's done more for the Alliance than just about anyone, and he'll have a chance to earn that trust. I'll explain later, but I'd like you to trust _me_ on this for now. Can you?"

"Yes. For now."

"Thank you. I don't know how much you follow current events, but a little over a week ago, there was an attack on a Human colony, Eden Prime."

"I heard about that on the extra-net. The Geth attacked the colony." said Liara

He frowned. "Yes, they did, but it wasn't all of them. Pluribus managed to get me a message that the Geth have factionalized. The faction he represents is called the true Geth, and he's become our… well I wouldn't say ally, not yet, so let's call him a liaison. The faction of Geth that attacked Eden Prime are called the heretic Geth. A Turian named Saren Arterius was with them; he was commanding them in fact."

"Saren? He's a Council Spectre." said Liara.

"Was." Nihlus corrected. "He was stripped of his status a few days ago. We were sent after him."

"What does that have to do with me?" she asked.

Rather than answer, Shepard played the recording of Saren and Benezia on his omnitool. When Liara heard her mother's voice, she was dumbstruck.

"That… that was my mother. Oh mother, what have you done?" she whispered, hanging her head and shaking it.

"We think the Conduit Saran mentioned is a piece of Prothean technology." he continued. "And since your mother is working with Saren, and you're an expert on the Protheans…"

"That would explain why the Geth came to Therum. They wanted me." She paused for a moment, and then continued. "I want to thank you for rescuing me, Shepard. I don't know what the Geth would've done if they'd gotten to me first."

"No problem, Liara. Here's the thing: we need to know what the Geth wanted you for, specifically. There are plenty of Prothean specialists out there, and your connection to Benezia isn't enough to explain why they came for you, instead of an easier or less obvious target."

"Well, I study the fall of the Prothean Empire. I've spent the last fifty years of my life trying to figure out what happened to them."

"The Protheans were destroyed by the old machines." said Pluribus.

"The who?" she asked.

Shepard answered her. " 'Old machines' is the Geth name for Reapers. They're a large group, possibly a race, of sapient, gigantic, mechanical spaceships. According to Pluribus, they appear every fifty thousand years and wipe out all advanced life in the galaxy."

"My research has led me to a similar conclusion, but the trouble is finding proof." she said. "The Protheans left almost no traces of themselves behind, and those before them left even less. I'm still struggling to get my theories accepted by the scientific community, but I'm only one hundred and six, and my youth makes it difficult for my research to get the attention it deserves."

Shepard laughed. "_Only_ a hundred and six? You look great for someone your age."

That earned him a surreptitious kick to the shin from Tali. He really needed to stand further away from her.

"I… th-thank you, John." she stuttered, her crests flushing slightly.

"You have to understand that for Humans, heck, for most species in the galaxy, being a hundred makes you an old man, if not dead. The only person in here that's older than you is Wrex. Although now that I think about it, I'm not actually sure how old Pluribus is."

"We're getting off topic, Shepard." said Nihlus. "Can we focus on the task at hand?"

"Right, sorry. The point is, Saren is searching for something called the Conduit, and Benezia is helping him. He believes it can bring back the Reapers, which would be bad, to say the least. Can you tell us anything about it?"

"I have heard of it, but only in passing." she said. "I only know that it's somehow connected to the destruction of the Protheans. But I must ask, how do you know about these Reapers?"

Shepard sighed. "I've… I've seen them. On Eden Prime, there was a device: a Prothean beacon. I got too close to it, and it showed me something. It was some sort of vision. I saw Protheans; they were running, afraid, dying. I saw the Reapers destroying them. I still don't fully understand what it means, though."

"Visions?" she asked. "That would make sense. The Protheans communicated by sharing thoughts and experiences with each other through touch. The beacons do so as well, but finding one that still works is very rare."

"Then why can't I understand it?"

"The beacons were designed for Prothean physiology. Anything you receive would be unclear, confused. Honestly, I'm rather surprised you survived the process; a lesser mind would've crumbled at the experience."

"This doesn't help us." said Kaidan. "We need information on Saren and the Conduit."

"My apologies." said Liara. "My scientific curiosity got the better of me. I don't have any information on either subject, I'm afraid."

"Even so, I'd like you to stay on the Normandy." said Shepard. "Your knowledge of the Protheans could come in handy, and considering you helped keep us from getting cooked by a volcano, your biotics could be useful in a fight."

"Thank you, Shepard. I feel safer here than I would elsewhere. Saren and Benezia would likely make another attempt to abduct me if I went anywhere else."

"Speaking of Benezia, can you tell us anything that might be useful?" asked Nihlus. "She's helping Saren, and despite her being your mother, we need all the intel we can get on her."

"Unfortunately, I can tell you very little." she replied, sounding guilty. "I haven't seen my mother in more than fifty years. You've spoken with her more than I in that time, Commander."

Suddenly, Joker's voice cut in over the coms. "Commander, you've got a message from the Council. They've got word on how the attack on the Geth went."

"Patch them through, Joker."

"Attack on the Geth?" asked Liara, sounding shocked. "When did this happen?"

"Listen and you might find out." said Tali

A set of five holograms appeared in the front of the briefing room.

"Councilors." said Shepard.

"Commander, did you manage to retrieve Dr. T'Soni?" asked Valern without preamble.

"Yes. She's here with me now, actually. Unfortunately, there isn't much she can tell us about Saren, Benezia, or the Conduit."

"That's unfortunate, but it may not matter." said Raan. "We've just received word from Admiral Hackett: the attack on the heretic station was a success. The entire defense force was destroyed, and the station was captured. About two hundred million of the Geth programs on it surrendered, but that accounts for less than five percent of the total. The rest either managed to transmit themselves to another station, or self-terminated."

"Two hundred million?" he asked, sounding incredulous. "That's… quite a few."

"Yes, it is." said Hannah. "We're having difficulty containing them at the moment. We were originally going to keep each program on a separate memory device, but that's obviously not practical. At this point, we're putting them in groups of about a thousand or so, and even then we're less than a third done."

"I assume the true Geth are proving helpful?" he asked.

"Yes, very much so, in fact." said Raan. "I have to admit, I'm surprised. I may have to… reevaluate my opinion of the Geth."

Tevos spoke next. "The point is, Commander, that the Geth… prisoners… are being interrogated by the true Geth as we speak. Hopefully, they'll discover something that gives us a hint as to Saren's next move. Until then, we have little for you to do."

"Why don't you take some shore leave, John?" said Hannah. "You could use some R&amp;R."

* * *

Exiting the Normandy's airlock, Shepard, Garrus, and Tali were immediately greeted by a man in the uniform of an Alliance Rear-Admiral. Greeted wasn't actually the right word: 'ambushed' might have been a better way to describe it. Seeing him, Shepard came to attention and snapped a salute. He might be a Spectre, but he was still a member of the Alliance Navy.

"Sir. Commander Shepard, ASV Normandy."

"Rear-Admiral Mikhailovich." he said, returning the salute. Seeing a mildly confused look on Shepard's face, he continued. "You don't know who I am, do you Commander?"

"No sir, I can't say I do."

"I command the Sixty Third Scout Flotilla; the unit you and this over-designed bucket of bolts were slated to join before the Council got their mitts on you." he said.

Put off by his tone and the open insult he had given his ship, Shepard's gaze and voice turned hard. "With respect, _Rear-Admiral_, the Normandy is a fine ship."

"The _Normandy_ is hole in the ground the Alliance insisted on pissing credits into." he countered, his tone taking an aggressive bent. "We could've had a dozen Knives or three Discos instead of this thing, but _noooo_, we had to play nice with the Quarians and build a _frigate_ with no use in a stand-up fight."

Tali let out a growl at the Admiral's words. They might not spend their entire lives on ships any longer, but insulting a Quarian's ship was far more offensive than even the worst insult to their person.

"Go to hell, you bosh'tet asshole." she snarled.

Mikhailovich's frown deepened at Tali's words. "Commander, contain your… _attack dog_… before she cost's you your command. My report to the Alliance on you is already going to be negative, and if you can't maintain discipline among your people during my inspection, they won't _be_ your people for much longer." he threatened.

Keeping his tone under control, Shepard used his eyes to bore into the Admiral's as he replied. "Admiral, you aren't going to set a _foot_ on the Normandy, so why don't you just walk away and forget it even exists."

A strange expression came over Mikhailovich's face, and he shook his head, but he did just that, walking away and mumbling as if he had made a wrong turn and gotten lost.

"Well that was odd." said Garrus, looking even more confused than Shepard. "I thought you were going to rip his head off for a second there, Tali."

"I considered it for a while." she admitted. "After all, being a Spectre has some benefits." She changed the subject. "How did you do that, John?"

"I'm not sure. Maybe I do have a silver tongue."

"Maybe. You certainly seem to enjoy using it on every woman you meet." she said, casting him a heated glance. Before he could respond, Garrus chirped in.

"Literally or figuratively?" he asked, his face completely straight.

Fighting back a blush, Shepard fired a return salvo. "Only Tali knows me _that_ literally."

That earned him _and_ Garrus slaps to the head. "Males." she said, as if that answered everything. Shepard couldn't let it go that easily.

"What's the matter Tali? _Jealous_?" he asked with a grin.

"Yes." she answered honestly.

That caught him flat-footed. "I… uh… really?"

"Forget I said anything." she said dismissively. "After all, why would you care?"

"Is this about back on Therum?" he asked, sounding remorseful. "Look, I didn't mean anything by it. It just popped out."

"That's not all that popped out." said Garrus under his breath.

Tali hit Garrus' head again before addressing him. "Stay out of this, Vakarian." She turned back to Shepard. "This isn't just about Therum. On the ship with Pluribus, you… you scared me, John. You didn't used to be like this. What happened to you?" she asked, somehow managing to sound hurt and concerned at the same time.

"I… I don't know." he said, his voice filled with guilt. "It started after Eden Prime. Seeing Jenkins go down like that brought back… memories…"

"Akuze?" she asked. She knew that story, as much as anyone did anyway. Not waiting for a response, she continued. "Losing people is never easy, John. I lost people under my command while I was in the Geists. If you ever need to talk, my door is always open."

He smiled at her slightly, his eyes warm. Here he was, supposedly the Spectre in charge of a mission to bring down a wanted war criminal and terrorist, and _she _was comforting _him_. "Thanks, Tali. That means a lot." Even in the moment, he just couldn't stop himself. "I'll be sure to bring my silver tongue." he grinned.

That earned him another slap to the back of the head, but it was playful, and she had no heat in her voice when she spoke.

"Bosh'tet"

* * *

When they finally made it off the elevator from the docks, they turned to left and headed for the rapid transit system.

"So, where do you wanna go?" asked Shepard, pulling up the console to summon a cab.

"I could use a drink; preferably the one you owe me." said Garrus, causing Shepard to roll his eyes.

"Me too, actually." said Tali. "I know a great spot in the wards called Flux. They have Quasar machines, and an awesome karaoke scene. Well, maybe not so much at this hour, but we could still dance."

"Well, I'm all for drinks, but I don't know about dancing…" said Shepard.

"John, I've seen you dance, and you dance beautifully. After all, you had the best instructors." she said.

"Instructors? Why would you need a teacher to learn how to dance?" asked Garrus, confused and mildly interested.

Shepard responded just a little too quickly, and through gritted teeth. "You don't, and I _can't_ dance. Not in a club anyway."

"Oh, come on John." said Tali, almost pleading. "Dancing is dancing; in a club or in a ballroom, it doesn't matter."

"_You studied ballroom dancing!?_" asked Garrus incredulously. When Shepard blushed slightly and didn't answer, Garrus cracked up, almost doubling over in laughter. "Oh spirits… this I _have_ to see." he wheezed between bouts of mirth.

Shepard turned to him, and tried to muster some indignation through his embarrassment. His mother had _insisted_ on a formal education for her son, despite it being archaic in the extreme. And that had meant _formal_ dance instructors, and even a voice coach. At least the Turian bastard didn't-

"He can sing too, you know." said Tali, positively relishing in making him squirm. "He has a beautiful tenor voice; perfect for the Duke of Mantua. Your performance in _Rigoletto_ was quite nice, actually."

If Garrus had laughed before, he roared now, throwing back his head and letting out deep belly laughs, right in the middle of the crowded transit hub, all the while clutching his sides.

"You know I have the legal authority to shoot you, right Vakarian?" He barely manage to choke the words out, and he felt like his cheeks were about to catch fire.

"Hahaha… sure, but… haha… I would… ha… I would die happy." he said, his words barely intelligible through his continuing chuckles. If Turians had tear ducts, he would've been crying a river.

"Let's just get those damn drinks."

Garrus continued to pester him during the cab ride to the wards, laughing all the while. Fortunately, Tali had the decency _not_ to tell any more sordid stories from his past. He tried damn hard to make sure nobody knew the more… _juicy _ones. _Unfortunately_, Tali and he had been all but siblings since she was born, despite the five year gap, and there was very little about his past she _didn't_ know. She had secrets too, but he would hold onto those particular tidbits for another day.

Flux was a fairly upscale nightclub compared to others in the wards. It certainly made Chora's Den look like the shithole it really was. Where Chora's had Asari "dancers," Flux had several large dance floors, filled with members of a half dozen species moving to techno music. There was even a lone Hanar dancing with an Asari on one of them, though it looked damn peculiar, seeing the otherwise elegant creature try to… _boogie_. Where the Den had armed thugs in every corner to make sure nothing _too_ violent happened due to the type of business that went on there, Flux had a handful of bouncers, mostly Krogan and Turian, with rather bored looks on their faces from nothing to do. And where Chora's usually had a lone Batarian bartender who looked more comfortable shooting people than mixing martinis, Flux had several waitresses to serve their customers. When they took a seat at one of the small tables, a young Human waitress came over almost immediately from talking with the club's manager, a Volus. She was wearing a revealing outfit, one that pushed, in a tasteful way, the bounds of propriety.

"Can I get you anything?" she asked.

"I'll have a tenth of Turian Brandy." replied Garrus.

"Make that two, mine on the rocks, please." said Tali.

"Vodka martini, shaken, not stirred." answered Shepard.

"I'll be right back with your drinks." she said with a smile. "My name is Rita, don't hesitate to call if you need anything else."

They sat there sipping their drinks for a few minutes, and they were on their second round, before Tali broke the rather awkward silence.

"It's nice to be able to enjoy a refreshing drink without having to triple-filter and sanitize it."

"Actually, I've always wondered: how _did_ things taste in the suit?" asked Garrus.

"Well… have you ever tried to drink water that's just been boiled?"

"A few times, yeah." he replied. "In basic training, during the survival portion, we had to learn to live off the land. I guess that's something all militaries have in common."

"It tastes flat, even more flavorless than usual." said Shepard. He'd been in those survival courses too.

"Everything was like that. Turian food was a bit better, considering it was _actual_ food, at least initially, but Quarian food took a while to get off the ground."

"I can imagine." said Garrus. "Getting seeds for dextro plants would've taken some doing, especially with in the quantity needed to sustain thirty million people."

"Livestock was harder." she said. "Transporting seeds is fairly simple, even if acquiring them isn't. Have you ever tried getting dozens of animals to cooperate on a week long voyage through interstellar space while they're trapped in a crowded ship? Calling it a pain would be like calling John… forceful."

Garrus laughed, but Shepard wasn't as amused. They'd had enough fun at his expense for one day, thank you very much. "Subtlety was never my strong suit, Tali. That was your area of expertise." He grinned. Maybe bringing out _one _tidbit would be alright for now. "You know, like that whole pyjak situation."

That got her attention. "Oh, no you don't, John. We promised never to bring that up, remember?" she said, a little bit nervous.

"Funny, that's not how I recall it." he said, tapping his chin in mock deliberation. "As I remember, you, ah… _requested_ that I not tell your friends. Of course, you can't keep it from them forever."

"OK, I'll bite." said Garrus, his voice already slightly amused, and more than a bit curious. "What's the story this time? If it's anything like the last one, it should make perfect blackmail material for la – OW! What'd you do that for?" he exclaimed, reaching down to rub his shin where she had kicked him.

"You deserved it." she said. If she was a few years younger, and Human, she'd have stuck her tongue out at him.

Shepard had seen the kick she sent his way coming, and had managed to avoid it. "When Tali was twelve, she decided that she wanted a pet, but her parents wouldn't let her get one. They were afraid she'd get sick, and considering that she'd only received the treatment for her immune system a few months before, it was a reasonable concern. Although I think a teenage version of her would disagree." he said, a mischievous grin on his face. "Long story short, she managed to get ahold of a live baby pyjak somewhere, but don't ask me how, 'cause she never told me. She managed to sneak it past decon on Kish, where she grew up, and took it home."

Tali started blushing furiously, but he dodged her surreptitious attempts to break his shins under the table.

"How in spirits name did she manage that?" asked Garrus, his body already beginning to shake in amusement.

Shepard continued, his face in a wide, toothy grin. "At the time, most Quarians could go without suits, but a lot still wore them out of habit or fear the cure wouldn't take. She managed to… _smuggle_ it past security in hers by using enough tranquilizers to put down a varren, and wearing a suit five sizes too big. I think the guys at the checkpoints were either sleeping, drunk, or trying too hard not to laugh to bother stopping her. When she got home, she tried to hide it in her room on a leash, but the damn thing chewed right through it and went on a rampage. Her parents were _not_ amused."

Garrus laughed almost as hard as he had before, and Tali finally managed to land a couple of kicks under the table. After a few seconds, Shepard joined Garrus, and eventually, so did Tali. When they had calmed down enough to think straight, Shepard looked down and noticed his drink was gone. He tried to flag down Rita, but she was too busy arguing with her boss to notice. Eventually, he gave up and walked over to where they were standing.

"-ease Doran, you have to do something. She's my sister, and she's your friend. She could get hurt, or _worse_." she said.

"What do you – tic – want me to do? – tic – Jenna is an adult, and – tic – she can make her own decisions. – tic – There are customers waiting, Rita. – tic – Please, get back to work." replied the Volus, gesturing towards the Commander.

"Is there a problem?" asked Shepard.

"I'm sorry sir, it's nothing." she said with a small bow. "I'll get you more drinks right away, on the house."

"Just tell me."

Rita looked uncomfortable, but she answered anyway. "I… well… my sister Jenna used to work here, but she moved to Chora's Den a few weeks ago. At first I didn't understand it, but then she told me a guy from C-Sec had recruited her to gather information for them. Jenna's a _waitress_, not a spy, and I'm worried something might happen to her."

"Well, I'm tempted to repeat what your boss just said, but I can understand you being worried for her. Just out of curiosity, did she do this on her own, or does C-Sec have something they're holding over her?"

Rita looked even more uncomfortable as she tried to answer. She probably hadn't been expecting anyone to figure this part out. "Well… Jenna… she…"

Shepard stopped her with a raised hand. "I'll take that as a yes. I don't need to know what it was, I was just curious. I can't say I disapprove of the _idea_ behind her punishment, but if the situation is dangerous, C-Sec shouldn't have just thrown her to the wolves like that. I'll see what I can do… after we get another round."

She hurried off to get their drinks, and Shepard made his way back to the table. Rita worked fast. He'd barely managed to sit back down before three more drinks were in front of them.

"What was all that about?" asked Tali, her speech ever so slightly slurred as she worked her way through yet another drink. Quarians reacted more strongly to booze than most other races, but Tali seemed to think she could hold her liquor far better than she actually could. Considering the possibility for hilarity to ensue if she kept going, Shepard was tempted to let her, but he decided better of it.

"Apparently Rita's sister Jenna is working undercover at Chora's Den for C-Sec. She's worried she might get hurt."

Garrus let out a low whistle. "I can see why. I think I was at Chora's at least once a month the entire time I worked at C-Sec. It's not a pleasant place."

"Yeah, and apparently C-Sec has something on her." said Shepard. "I'm not sure what, but they're holding it over her so she cooperates."

"If she did something illegal, she deserves having to pay for it." replied Garrus. He'd been in the force for a long time, and he'd always tried to play by the book, as infuriating as it was at times. The idea of letting a criminal off because they had relatives that worried about them didn't make sense in his mind.

"Garrus, it's one thing to hit her with a fine, or even a short stint in lockup, but she could die doing this." Shepard countered. "If whatever she did was severe enough to warrant _that _particular punishment, they wouldn't have let her walk away. They shouldn't be playing fast and loose with her life like that just because they can."

"She didn't have to cooperate." he countered. "She could've just served her time and been done with it."

"Garrus, she's not a hardened criminal, she's a civvie that made a mistake. Prison may not be _as_ dangerous as Chora's, but I'd hardly call it pleasant or easy. I think we should do something, or at least get some more info."

He hesitated for a long moment before responding. "Well, I suppose it couldn't hurt to check it out. I still have plenty of friends in C-Sec that should be able to point us in the right direction. Plus, having two Spectres there should make things go a lot smoother." Garrus stood and turned towards the door, but Shepard was having none of it.

"Aren't you forgetting something?" he asked pointedly.

"I… oh _fine_. You win, Shepard." he said, reaching for his credit chit. "But I'll get you next time."

"I hope you do. After all, I need you to watch my back out there, and you can't do that if you miss every other shot." he said, completely deadpan.

Garrus made a choking sound, but couldn't get out a response before Shepard and Tali left the table with him sputtering in place.

After short cab ride, and several choice words from Garrus that Shepard's translator couldn't make out, they found themselves back at C-Sec, and Garrus led them to an office where a Turian friend of his worked. A nameplate on his desk read _Det. Tonn Chellick_.

"Garrus." he said, looking up from the files he'd been reviewing. He sounded happily surprised when he spoke. "Wasn't expecting to see you when I woke up this morning. Or any morning, really."

"Good to see you again, Tonn. We were wondering if you could give us some information on a Human female. Name's Jenna. One of your people has her working as a mole in Chora's Den."

Chellick sighed and shook his head gently. "Not one of my people, Garrus. Me. I'm sorry, but you're not with C-Sec any more, and I can't disclose any information about the case to you."

"Then disclose it to me." said Shepard firmly. "My Spectre authority lets me work on C-Sec cases at my discretion."

Chellick sighed again, but pulled up a data file on his omnitool and transferred it to Shepard's. "We caught Jenna in possession of Red Sand. Not enough to resell, and she doesn't use, but it was still enough to land her in jail for six months. She claimed it was for a friend, but she wouldn't say who."

"Detective, she's risking her life out there, and she's doing it because she's afraid." said Shepard, locking eyes with Chellick. "What you're doing to her is pathetic, and you know it's too dangerous to let her keep doing it. Let her go, and I won't use my Spectre authority to make you."

"I'll let her go." he said simply.

Shepard waited for further response, but when none came, he headed out. He dropped Rita a quick message with his 'tool to let her know, but as he went to close it, a message came through from the Council.

"John, this is Raan. We've got a lead for you on Saren. One of the heretic Geth we captured gave us some information about an attack on a corporate colony in the Attican Beta cluster. It's on the planet of Feros. We'll give you more information on the way."

* * *

_**Edit: Woooooo! 10k views. In less than half a month, for an unknown author, I'd say that's pretty good.**_

_**Timestamp 3/20/2014**_


	16. Chapter 12: The Heart of Darkness

_**Author notes: Accidentally published the wrong chapter the first time. Had to take it down and redo it. Sorry for the double update thing. Enjoy.**_

* * *

Chapter 12: The Heart of Darkness

Most of the team was already in the briefing room when Shepard entered. The only person missing was Liara, and she came in right on his heels.

Shepard started without an overture. "We've got a lead on Saren and the heretic Geth. One of the Geth programs captured after the battle at the heretic station informed us of an attack on a corporate colony named Zhu's Hope. It's in the Attican Beta cluster on the planet of Feros. One of FT's subsidiaries, ExoGeni, started the colony a few months ago, probably because most of the planet is covered in Prothean ruins."

"Why would the Geth attack a small colony like Feros?" asked Ashley. "What's there for them?"

"Best guess, it's Prothean tech, like on Eden Prime." replied Shepard. "Could be another beacon, could be the Conduit, could be something else. No way to know until we get there."

"Commander, I've been thinking about what you said earlier about the beacon." said Liara. "You may not be able to make sense of the vision you received, but…"

"What?"

"But I might." she finished weakly.

Shepard sighed and shook his head. "If the beacon was still intact, that might be possible, but it's not. It was destroyed just after I used it, and even then, using it nearly killed me."

"I realize that, Shepard. There is… another way."

"How? Unless we can find a second beacon, I don't… Wait. You can't mean…"

"I wouldn't suggest this if there was any other way, Shepard." she said defensively. "But I want to do something about Saren… and Benezia. I want to help."

"Care to fill the rest of us in?" asked Kaidan. "What are you two talking about?"

"Mind meld." said Wrex simply. "Let's the Asari share memories."

Liara hesitated a moment before responding. "Yes. It would allow me to see the vision you had, Shepard. I might be able to interpret it."

"Liara, I don't know if I'm not comfortable having you rooting around inside my head just yet." said Shepard, rubbing the back of his neck.

"He prefers to wait until at _least_ the third date." quipped Tali.

Wrex guffawed, and the rest of the team sniggered slightly. Liara's crests flushed a little.

"Skipper, I'll admit, this mind melding thing sounds… freaky. But what if there's something in there that could lead to Saren? It might be weird, but can we afford not to try?"

That made Shepard angry, but he repressed it as he answered. That formal education had to come in handy sometime, and she didn't know. "Ash, it's more than just a sharing of memories. When an Asari melds with someone, their nervous systems link, and they exchange things: thoughts, feelings, emotions, memories, everything. For the Asari… it's like sex; it _is _sex."

"Oh." she said, covering her mouth with her hand. Her face went pale with anxiety and shock. "I… I didn't realize."

"Commander Shepard… John." said Liara, bringing his attention back to her. "It's not entirely the same. It's difficult to explain, but there's a large gray area between a simple meld and actual sex. It's a matter of degree, so to speak." She hung her head as she spoke, sounding ashamed. "I wouldn't dream of trying to force you into something like this. I just thought I would suggest it. It's only a possibility."

"A matter of degree, huh? So, what… it's like getting to second base?" he asked with a grin. He dodged the kick that Tali sent his way, knowing it was coming.

"I… I don't understand. Is that some sort of Human expression?" she asked confusedly, her embarrassment gone.

"Yes, but never mind." he said, trying to change the subject. "I'll think about it Liara. I'm not comfortable with it, but… I'll think about it." Coming back to the matter at hand, he continued. "As far as Feros is concerned, FleetCom received a distress call from the colony about six hours ago via QEC. We would've gotten it sooner, but ExoGeni decided to try and hide news of the attack for some damn reason." he said angrily. "The Geth are hitting it hard, and we're the closest ship that can respond, considering most of the Alliance fleet is still behind the Perseus Veil, or on guard duty for further heretic attacks on colonies. The only reason the defense force _can't_ make it is that ExoGeni decided to start their new colony halfway across Council space. Damn idiots."

"I assume we're going there for more than just defense purposes." said Nihlus.

Shepard answered the half question. "Defending the colonists takes priority, but we need to keep an eye out for whatever it is the Geth are after. To that end, we'll be dividing into two teams: I, Liara, Tali, and Nihlus will be holding down the fort at the colony. Pluribus, you'll follow after we can tell the colonists not to shoot at you. Garrus, I want you to take Ash, Kaidan, and Wrex and find out what the Geth are doing down there."

"You're putting _him_ in charge, Skipper?" asked Ashley, sounding offended.

"Yes, and that attitude is why." he replied sternly. "I need to know you can follow orders, Ash, no matter who gives them. If you can't, you'll get someone killed, probably yourself."

"Yes, sir." she said, her posture becoming rigid. She'd inherited being a good soldier from her grandfather, but that wasn't all she got from him.

"Good. When we get down there, we'll all make for the colony as a group, secure it, and then split up." He faced his newest team members. "Pluribus, Liara, this is your first time going into combat as part of the team, and I suspect this is your first time period, Liara. It's a baptism by fire, but we don't have time for anything else. Show me you can handle this, and you'll have proven yourselves as far as I'm concerned."

"Shepard Commander, we request new armaments for the mission." said Pluribus. "The weapons which are currently in our possession may not be suitable for the task at hand."

He hesitated a moment. "Pluribus, a small part of the reason I gave everyone else here Alliance weapons is because I knew they couldn't figure them out or analyze them, even if they took them apart piece by piece. The weapons we have are some of Humanity's most closely guarded secrets, and I can only let you use them if you promise me you won't try to steal the technology behind them."

"We… I promise." he responded.

That cheered Shepard up immediately. "Good. Liara, the same goes for you." She nodded. "Let's head down to the cargo hold and get you two some gear. Everyone else, prep your kit and your selves for the mission. We'll arrive on Feros in thirty six hours."

Shepard, Pluribus, and Liara took the elevator down to the Normandy's bottom deck. The weapons delivered for the mission had been unpacked and now lay in racks arrayed down the center of the room.

"Pluribus, I know you can use a sniper rifle with a fair bit of skill, but is there any other type of weapon you feel comfortable with?" asked Shepard.

"Our skills and design are best suited for mid to long range engagements. An assault rifle or similar weapon would be the best fit for our abilities." he replied.

"Hmm. I think I have something for you." said Shepard, walking over to pick up a weapon from the racks. It looked much like a standard assault rifle, but the barrel was encased in a blue glowing energy field. "We usually only give these to spec ops, but they're versatile and powerful. This is a Soviet CryoGenesis Rifle. It fires a concentrated beam of cryonic particles which super cool anything they hit. It works a lot like cryo ammo for normal Mass Effect weapons, but it's much more powerful. Actually, I should say it _can_ be more powerful." He turned the weapon on its' side and showed the synthetic a dial near the trigger. "The CryoGenesis Rifle can be manually adjusted to either snap freeze a target at max power, which will cause it to shatter on impact with just about anything, or to simply frost a mug of beer at a low setting." he finished with a grin.

"Using a piece of military grade weaponry to cool alcoholic beverages would seem to be a misuse of the technology." replied Pluribus, looking almost confused.

"Depends on how quickly you need a cold beer." countered Shepard, smiling. When the Geth didn't respond, his smile faded. "We really need to work on your sense of humor."

"Shepard, I don't know if I can use any of these weapons." said Liara, looking mildly concerned. "I wasn't trained for combat like everyone else."

"Well in that case, maybe you shouldn't use a weapon."

"Not use a weapon? How…?"

"There's one thing they sent us I think you can use. It's still experimental though. Let me see if I can find it."

Shepard rooted around in the racks for a minute before finding something that looked like a standard issue Temporal Dislocator, but it was attached to a small backpack, and it wasn't as large. "Alright. Do you understand the basics of chrono technology, Liara?"

"I think so. It essentially moves objects through space and time, doesn't it?"

"That's about it, yeah. This is what the eggheads call a Chrono Dislocator. It's not a weapon, strictly speaking, but it can be used as one. Have you ever seen anyone use a Temporal Dislocator?" When she shook her head, he explained. "Saren had set charges to destroy the colony on Eden Prime. There wasn't enough time to defuse all of them using conventional methods, so I used the T-Dis to erase the bombs. Basically, it pushes whatever it targets out of our timeline, effectively erasing it as though it never existed. The downside is that it takes a while to do, and that time is proportional to the complexity of the object being targeted. I could erase the entire Normandy, but it would take several minutes of sustained use, during which I couldn't move."

"How can that be possible?" asked Liara, looking terrified. "That would allow for the technology to be unbelievably destructive."

"Honestly, I don't know how it works. Hell, I don't know how any of this stuff works, not completely." he said, waving at the armory behind him. "I just know what it does. The men who originally invented chrono tech died over a century ago, and since Zelinsky and Einstein, no one has ever managed to make significant advances in temporal technology. Honestly, that's probably for the best, considering that using a Time Machine can have disastrous consequences. Regardless, I'm getting off subject: this device doesn't move objects through time, but through space."

"Like a chronosphere?" she asked.

"Yes, only on a much smaller scale. You could probably move the MIAFV over there," he said, gesturing to the vehicle, "but nothing much larger. Even then, you can only transport something about thirty meters, give or take."

"How will this help me in combat?" she asked, looking over the weapon.

"It's versatile: you could pick up an opponent and drop them from a height, even slam them to the ground using your biotics. If they're behind cover, move the cover, maybe even drop the cover on them, or drop them on each other. There are a million possibilities with this thing, and more will present themselves in combat. The best part is that the C-Dis is normally non-lethal; it only becomes lethal when you make it. It took us a while to figure out how to keep it from killing unshielded organics."

"I see. That is… somewhat comforting, actually." she said with a small smile.

"I suggest you two spend some time getting to know these weapons. As soon as we land on Feros, your lives will depend on them."

Liara and Pluribus turned to leave, but Shepard stopped Liara with a hand on her shoulder.

"Liara, a word?"

She turned slowly. "Yes, Shepard?"

"About what you suggested earlier… The meld. I think… I know I can trust you."

"Are you sure, John?" she asked softly. "I don't want to pressure you into something like this."

"I'm sure." he replied, despite being anything but.

"Very well. Hold still, Commander." She placed her hands gently on his head and looked deep into his eyes. She bowed her head and shut her eyes, and as she looked up, they had been replaced with pure black orbs, as dark as night itself.

"Embrace Eternity!" she intoned.

Images flashed through his mind, images and voices and memories, in an ever increasing crescendo. Faster and faster they came, and suddenly he was back on Eden Prime, reliving the beacon. It seemed to last for an eternity and an instant, but as suddenly as it began, it was over.

"Oh my… Goddess, that was intense." she breathed, sounding exhausted.

"Yeah… for a minute, I was back on Eden Prime. Liara, if you can make any sense of the vision, let me know. In the meantime, get some rest. I know you need it, because I certainly do."

"I will. And... thank you, John."

* * *

When the group of eight walked onto the surface of Feros, they were alert for the presence of Geth, who surely must have seen the Normandy land.

"Remind me why we landed the ship instead of chronoing down?" asked Garrus.

"Remember the volcano incident?" asked Shepard sarcastically. "We've got no idea what's down here, and I'd rather not risk a repeat of Therum, even a partial one."

"Fair enough." he replied. "The colony shouldn't be too far anyway."

And indeed, the colony was close. Traveling down a ramp towards it, they were greeted by a lone Human male.

"David al Talanquani." he said. "We saw your ship. Fai Dan wants to speak with you. The Geth are preparing another attack."

Out of the corner of his eye, Shepard saw a group of Geth appear from around a corner and fire a rocket at the defenseless civilian. Before he could move to help, David suddenly disappeared in a cloud of blue lighting and smoke, reappearing next to Liara. _'Clever girl.'_ he thought. After a short but potent barrage of fire from their advanced Alliance weapons, the Geth were nothing but piles of scrap and slag.

"Are you alright?" Liara asked David, sounding concerned.

"Fine, but you need to see Fai Dan." he replied.

"We'll see him, we'll see him, _sheesh_." huffed Tali.

As they left with the colonist, Shepard turned to Liara and smiled. "That was quick thinking, Liara. I knew giving you the C-Dis was a good idea. You saved his life."

"Th-thank you, Shepard." she stammered.

Advancing further into the ruins, they had just entered a stairwell when a brilliant bolt of red energy shot towards the soldiers, followed quickly by a blur of movement in the distance. As the group scrambled for cover, Garrus dragging the colonist as he went, Shepard cursed as a second shot tore into his shields, knocking them out in a single hit.

"Fuck! It's those bouncy assholes like we saw on Therum! Kaidan, Liara, slow them down!"

The pair of biotics did just that, grabbing them off walls and from midair, holding them in place while the rest of the group blew them to smithereens. After a few more flights of stairs, they finally arrived at the colony, the forward guards tensing when they appeared, and then relaxing when they saw they weren't Geth.

"Thank god, the Alliance. Talk to Fai Dan, he's over that way." said one of the guards, pointing towards the rear of the colony. As they walked in the direction she indicated, Nihlus looked concerned.

"Is it just me, or are these people behaving … off?"

"It's not just you, they _are_ acting strange." answered Shepard. "Then again, they may just be in shock. The Geth have done a number on them."

"Yeah… maybe." he replied, sounding unconvinced.

The group approached a pair of colonists, a male and female Human. The man, clearly Fai Dan, turned to face them.

"Commander, I'm glad to see they finally sent someone." he said.

"A bit _late_, aren't you." said the woman, her tone hostile.

"Arcelia!" he admonished. "I'm sorry, everyone's on edge since-"

A pair of Geth platforms appeared in the ruins behind him as he spoke, cutting him off.

"Defensive positions!" yelled Shepard. "Protect the civvies!"

His team immediately spread out, the eight of them sprinting to cover the various areas of the colony. The Geth attacked from several directions, but there were only a few platforms in each attack group.

"This was a probing raid." said Garrus when it was over. He'd been closest to Shepard. "They saw us arrive, and they're testing our defenses."

Shepard nodded briefly in agreement, and then approached Fai Dan.

"Look, we need to hit the Geth before they overrun us. Do you know why they attacked the colony?"

"No." he replied. "They just attacked us. If you want to figure out more, their main base is at the ExoGeni headquarters. If you take the skyway, it'll lead you straight there."

"Alright." he turned to Garrus. "Garrus, take your team and head back to the Normandy. Hop in the MIAFV and make for the Geth base. Take out as many as you can, and gather intel. We need to know why they're here."

"Roger that, Shepard." he said, leading the group of four back to the ship.

"In the meantime, we're here to assist, Fai Dan. We'll dig in and help fortify this position. Is there anything we can do to help?"

"Some of the other colonists are trying to focus on getting things running again. You can talk to them."

Shepard nodded, and then turned to his remaining team members. "Nihlus, scout the surrounding area; I don't want to be caught off guard. Tali, Liara, talk to the colonists and see what they need." As they too headed off, he turned back to Fai Dan. "I know this is gonna seem strange, but I have a Geth squad member with me. I can guarantee he's friendly, and he may be able to help."

"_Geth_?!" shrieked Arcelia. "Are you crazy?!"

"Look, I'll explain later, preferably when all the _other_ Geth are gone. For now, I'm having him chrono in, so don't shoot him. If you do, we're gonna have a problem." he warned. "Pluribus, transport to my position."

Pluribus arrived a few seconds later, just as Tali and Liara returned from speaking to the colonists.

"Commander Shepard, it looks like what these people need most is supplies. We need to reactive the pumping station to get fresh water to the colony, and there's a pack of varren we can hunt for meat." said Liara.

"And according to one of the colonists, they're in desperate need of power." said Tali. "We should be able to find power cells somewhere nearby. There also appears to be a Geth transmitter in the tunnels. If we destroy it, the Geth should ease up."

"Alright. We'll head into the tunnels and eliminate the Geth, make for the transmitter first, then complete the other objectives." Putting his hand to his ear, he contacted Nihlus. "Nihlus, any sign of Geth activity near the colony?"

"Negative, Shepard."

"Ten four; keep your eyes open and radio for backup if you run into any trouble." He turned to the rest of his squad. "Let's move out."

As the quartet moved into the tunnels beneath the settlement, they met several scattered pockets of Geth, interspersed with the occasional Krogan merc, but between Tali's Cannon and Shepard's pistol, they didn't last long. After they took out the transmitter, the first useful thing they found was a water main running to the colony.

"John, I think this is a control valve for the water supply. Give me a second to get it open." said Tali. She finished in a few seconds, and the group moved on. They eliminated several more pockets of Geth and activated two more valves.

"I think that's all of them." said Tali. "I can hear water running through the pipes."

Garrus' voice came in over their com units. "Shepard, come in."

"Shepard here. Find anything Garrus?"

"Not yet, but we made it to the ExoGeni building. There are some survivors nearby, and we're headed inside to find more. We'll let you know if we find something else."

Shepard's squad continued onward, passing through a sliding door that was miraculously still working. As they did, they heard the distinctive growl of a varren pack nearby.

"Pluribus, Liara, kill the varren with biotics and melee only: the colonist's need the meat." said Shepard. Between the Asari biotic and the metal man, the pack was quickly dispatched. Nearby, a burnt out vehicle lay by the side of the path.

"Tali, see if there's anything in the vehicle to salvage. The power cell might be intact, and the colonists could use it."

"Shepard Commander, we are detecting a broadcast from nearby heretic platforms." said Pluribus. "We have triangulated its' approximate position."

"Good, as soon as Tali's done, we can take them out before they reach the colony."

"I'm _already_ done, John. I am Quarian, after all." she said, smiling and holding the power cell.

"That's my girl. Pluribus, you're on point. Move out."

As they moved towards the sliding door, a faint mumbling came from their left. It sounded like…

"Hello?" asked Liara, her voice not quite a yell. "Is someone there?"

A lone Human male stumbled out of the shadows in the distance, and the party instinctively raised their weapons slightly. "You don't… want to go down… there-I could tell… you… everything." He struggled as he said the words, as if they were being ripped from his throat. Or getting caught in it. "HOW WOULD YOU LIKE THAT!?" he yelled at nothing, before collapsing to the ground and groaning in pain. He recovered quickly and stood, panting as if he had just run a marathon. "That was a good one."

"What the hell is wrong with you?" demanded Shepard, now thoroughly confused and more than a little concerned.

"Oh, nothing." he replied nonchalantly. "Just invoking the master's whip. It thinks it can – AAAGGH – control – AAAAGGH – stopitstopitstopitstopit." he babbled, sobbing as he wandering off into the blackness from whence he came.

"Goddess, did the Geth do something to him?" asked Liara, fear dripping from her voice. "He sounds…"

"Mind control…" whispered Shepard, his voice faint. "Tali, in Geist training, they taught you how to recognize and fight MC, right?"

Hearing his proclamation, Tali's face paled. "Oh Keelah… You're right. He has the symptoms." she murmured.

"Garrus, come in." said Shepard, hurriedly activating his com unit. "We have evidence of mind control on the planet. If anyone there's compromised, restrain them and have them chrono to the Normandy. We keep a small amount anti-MC gear on board. Never thought we'd need it, though."

"It's worse than you think, Shepard." replied the Turian sniper. "We just found an ExoGeni data station. There's some sort of plant beneath Zhu's Hope, called the Thorian, which can control minds."

"A _plant_?" he asked incredulously. "What the _fuck_? Why is it beneath the fucking colony if it has MC powers?!"

"ExoGeni was using the colonists in Zhu's Hope as a control group to study its' effects. Their… experiment has been going on for months."

"_**WHAT!?**_" he roared. "_**ARE THEY OUT OF THEIR FUCKING MINDS!?**_" Calming himself slightly, Shepard continued, rage boiling in his voice. "Garrus, find any data you can on the Thorian, evacuate all the civvies to the Normandy using the MIAFV, have Joker get the ship into orbit, then chrono in a tactical nuke and level the _fucking_ building! If anyone at ExoGeni gives you shit, _shoot them_!" he finished in a yell.

Garrus sputtered for a moment. "You can't be-"

"_LEVEL THE FUCKING BUILDING!"_ bellowed Shepard. "MC is too fucking dangerous to play with! As soon as the Alliance gets their hands on the crazy motherfuckers who orchestrated this shit, they'll be lucky to get life in solitary!"

"R-roger that, Shepard." said Garrus, his voice weak.

"John, what about Nihlus?" asked Tali, her voice filled with dread.

"Oh _shit_. Nihlus, come in." said Shepard frantically. When he didn't respond, he called again, louder. "_Nihlus, come in!_"

Nothing.

"FUCK!" He wheeled around to face his squad. "Look, things just got a whole lot more dangerous. Tali and I are trained to resist mind control because we were in the Geists. Pluribus, you're immune because you're synthetic, but Liara…" he trailed off, raising his pistol and pointing it at her head. "I'm sorry, but you're a liability."

* * *

_**Author notes: CLIFFHANGER! BWAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHA!**_


	17. Chapter 13: Ia! Ia! Thorian Fhtagn!

**_Author notes: Oh, come on. You didn't _actually_ expect me to kill Liara, did you? Shepard might be a thug and an asshole, but he hasn't gone _completely_ over to the dark side... yet. ;)_**

* * *

Chapter 13: Ia! Ia! Thorian Fhtagn!

"I'm sorry, but you're a liability."

Liara dropped her C-Dis in fright and raised her hands. "W-wait! Please, I'm not-"

"Shut up!" he yelled. "Look, I'm sorry, but even if it doesn't have you now, we can't take the chance the Thorian will get to you eventually." He turned to the Geth. "Pluribus, can you knock her out without hurting her?"

"Yes." he responded, nodding his head once.

"Do it, and find something to bind her hands and feet. I'm sorry Liara, but until we're sure the Thorian is dead, this is absolutely necessary. You could hurt yourself or one of us if it gets control of you. We'll find somewhere safe to hide you, and then have the Normandy chrono you up when this is over." he finished sadly.

"I understand, John." she said meekly. "How will you…?" She trailed off and collapsed as Pluribus placed his hand on her shoulder near the base of her neck and squeezed. The synthetic caught her as she fell, and he set her gently on the ground, sealing her suit as he did. He pulled several lengths of wiring out of a nearby destroyed Geth platform, then tied her limbs together quickly and efficiently, as only a synthetic can do.

"Vulcan neck pinch?" asked Shepard, a little amazed. "I didn't know that actually worked."

"Asari have a nerve cluster at the base of their necks that allows for them to be rendered unconscious quickly and efficiently, with minimal side effects." replied Pluribus as he worked. "Most species have such clusters, with the exception of the Krogan."

"No kidding? I need to lear-" said Shepard. Just then, he was interrupted by a blinding white light that bloomed in his vision, followed by a powerful tremor in the ground and a massive, thundering roar in the distance. All of them, excluding Pluribus, were thrown to the ground as it continued to shake beneath them. After what seemed like hours, it finally stopped and they picked themselves up off the floor, brushing dust from their clothing and armor.

"Well, that's one way to fix a problem." said Shepard. "Just blow the fuck out of it."

"Is this really necessary, John?" pleaded Tali. "There must be another way."

He shook his head angrily. She needed to understand the gravity of the situation, but for any non-Human, even her, it was hard to accept. "There _are_ other ways, but they're too dangerous. During the Psychic Dominator Disaster, entire city blocks were leveled and thousands we sacrificed to kill one Yuri clone. It _had_ to be done. _I'm_ half tempted to nuke the damn thing from orbit, colonists be damned, but we _need_ intel on Saren. I get the feeling he was after the Thorian, and I need to know why."

Tali shivered as he spoke. "John, that's… that's not just ruthless, that's _evil_."

"It's a necessary evil, Tali." he replied dejectedly. "I'm sorry, but there's no safe way around it. Nihlus isn't responding because he's probably already compromised, just like the colonists. _Fuck!_ That's why they were behaving strangely."

Pluribus interrupted him with a raised hand as he carried Liara to the burnt out vehicle and hid her in the empty engine compartment. "Shepard Commander, we believe that the Thorian's abilities may function under similar restrictions to the devices known as "Think Tanks." The behavior patterns of the distraught colonist suggest this, as he was able to resist the Thorian without training. Additionally, the fact that neither T'Soni Doctor nor the remaining vulnerable members of the team were compromised when they arrived indicates that the Thorian may be at or slightly above the limit for how many minds it can control effectively."

"Wow… I actually hadn't thought of that." said Shepard, slightly awed by the revelation. "In that case, we need to make sure there aren't any fatalities among the colonists or Nihlus. If there are, the Thorian could take someone else."

"It's probably already on to us, John. That nuclear explosion was a bit of a giveaway." said Tali with a small giggle.

"Oops." said Shepard, rubbing the back of his neck. "Guess I should've thought things through a little bit further. Still, we _need_ to destroy the Thorian, and anything related to it. Experimenting on MC based powers needs to be done in a highly controlled setting, and what ExoGeni's doing doesn't qualify."

"I'd have thought that you'd be more open to psychic research." said Tali, moving towards the door they had entered from. "After all, Humans use psychic radar as an early warning system."

"Detection technology based on extra sensory perception was theorized as a possibility by the Geth, Shepard Commander, but never confirmed. Is the statement by Creator Tali correct?" asked Pluribus, sounding almost startled.

"Tali…" growled Shepard in an aggressive tone. "You do realize that the existence of psychic radar is a state secret, right?"

"It's an _open_ secret, John, and you know it." she retorted, not fazed by his ire.

"Fair enough." he said after a moment, his anger melting. "Yes, Pluribus, it is. Besides, if the true Geth become our allies and make peace with the Quarians, I suppose they'll end up using it anyway. The point I was trying to make was that I'm open to the _idea_ of experimenting with powers of the mind, but doing so is inherently dangerous. When Einstein and Oppenheimer helped create nuclear weapons, their initial tests were performed in the middle of a New Mexican desert. Leaving something like the Thorian here, uncontained and uncontrolled, could be unbelievably disastrous. It _needs_ to be destroyed, and with extreme prejudice."

"I guess that makes sense." said Tali after a moment. "And if you didn't experiment on MC at least a little, you wouldn't have psy-radar. Wish we had some now. It would certainly come in handy finding Nihlus."

Shepard's hand suddenly darted out and stopped her in her tracks. "Oh, _crap_. Nihlus has a Mirage Inducer." Suddenly alarmed, Shepard checked their surroundings frantically, looking for anything that looked out of place: a rock, a pile of rubble, anything. "Pluribus, have you read about Mirage Inducers?"

"Yes. Geth have assimilated knowledge on the effects of many forms of Alliance technology, including Mirage camouflage fields."

"Good. Keep an eye out for something that looks out of place; something that wasn't here when we came through last. _Damnit_, that blast probably shook loose god knows how many things. I feel like a damn idiot now."

"We will watch for any objects which could conceal Kryik Spectre." said Pluribus, hefting his cryo rifle. "We will attempt to disable him with our cryonic weapon without causing permanent damage."

"Keep in mind he has a Riftblade as well. _Don't_ get close. Tali, switch to pistols, and shoot to disable. I'd rather we not hurt Nihlus, but if it comes to that, I'd rather wound than kill."

Garrus' voice came in over their com units. "Shepard, do you read?"

"Loud and clear. We have a problem, though: Nihlus is being controlled by the Thorian, and we had to K.O. Liara to keep her safe. Can you get a fix on either of them?"

"One sec… OK, we got Liara, but Nihlus deactivated his direction finder."

"I figured as much. Chrono Liara up to you and have Chakwas take a look at her. She's unconscious, but she shouldn't be hurt." Deactivating his com unit, Shepard sighed softly. "I feel like kind of an ass for doing that to Liara. If for no other reason, we need to kill the Thorian for making it necessary."

Just then, the trio rounded a corner going back to the colony and they were greeted by the sight of… something. They creatures looked vaguely human, but they were green and plantlike. In truth, they looked more like Geth husks than anything else. Most of them had been crouched on the ground, hugging their legs to their chests, but when the group appeared, they rose and turned towards them.

"What the fuck are those?" asked Shepard, his voice hoarse.

As if his question had been a signal, the things let out a series of earsplitting screeches and rushed the team as one, their long, claw-like fingers stretched out towards them as if to rip them to shreds. A pair of quick blasts from Shepard's pistol dropped two of them to the ground without heads, but dozens of others rushed on. Tali managed to switch to Tesla Cannon, and the electrified shots tore holes in their ranks, punching through four or five in a line, setting them on fire as they went. Pluribus focused his cryo rifle at the things, but they were surprisingly resilient to it, taking nearly a full second to freeze completely, even at max power. Still, between the three trained soldiers, none of them got within three meters. Seeing the remains of the zombified plant creatures disintegrate and rot before their eyes sent chills up Shepard's spine.

The rush of creatures had been all the opening Nihlus needed. He came not from below or to the side, but from above, dropping down directly in front of Pluribus, his super-heated Riftblade striking for the synthetic's head. It could have been that Pluribus heard the whisper in the air as he fell, or sensed the heat the blade gave off; regardless, he managed to avoid being cleaved in half, if only just. The Geth sprang backwards with almost imperceptible speed, and lost only a single arm to the Turian Spectre, it having been melted clean through midway between the wrist and elbow. He also had the benefit of quick recovery: while Tali and Shepard were still trying to grasp what was happening, Pluribus raised his good arm, still clutching his cryo rifle, and fired it directly at the glowing weapon in Nihlus' hands. The mixture of cryogenic particles and plasma inducing heat was too much for the structure of the weapon: it shuddered violently, and then cracked at the sudden temperature change, blowing itself to fragments in Nihlus' grip. One particularly large fragment found its' way to his gut, and it punched an oblong hole directly though and out the other side, leaving a cauterized wound large enough for a hand to fit through.

Shepard managed to process all this in the three seconds it took to happen, and as he watched Nihlus fall, he saw images of the same thing happening over and over. However, these weren't images of the present, but of the past: seeing his squad cut down, one by one, the Thresher Maws at Akuze too powerful for them to kill or even harm. Next came images of Jenkins, dead before he saw his assailants, his body laid to rest on the colony he'd been born and died on. And now, Nihlus.

"Nihlus!" His cry was powerful, driven by emotion: fear, anger, hate, rage, and concern, all in their most primal forms. It seemed to reach the Turian, for he suddenly cried out in excruciating pain, as if he had just noticed the gaping hole in his abdomen. He clutched at it, thinking to stem the loss of blood that never came, the wound having been seared shut by the heat of his weapon. A small mercy, perhaps, but a mercy nevertheless.

"Pluribus, seal his armor and activate his locator! Use omnigel for the hole!" yelled Shepard, falling back on his Geist and N7 training instinctually. "Normandy, this is Shepard! Nihlus is down; we need medevac at my coordinates ASAP!"

A handful of seconds later, the Spectre's suit was sealed, and he vanished in an all too familiar cloud of lighting and smoke.

"Pluribus, are you OK?" he asked, the adrenaline coursing through his veins masking his shock.

"Affirmative, Shepard Commander. Loss of a limb does not cause us distress as it would an organic. However, our weapon proficiency will decrease by 18.256% as a result, and we will no longer be able to effectively wield a sniper rifle until the damage has been repaired."

"We need to get to the colonists before anything else happens." said Tali. "They could attack us just like Nihlus."

Shepard nodded. "Pluribus, try aiming for any weapons the colonists have, and set the rifle at 40% power. That should cause their weapons to jam or break without causing more than minor frostbite. Let's move."

The path to the settlement was littered with the plant-creatures, but they were fragile, and the power of the Alliance weapons tore them to shreds. When they rounded the last corner to the colony, gunshots rang out from ahead, from three unarmored colonists firing on them from behind a low wall. Pluribus was able to disable their pistols with relative simplicity, and they were easily dispatched when they rushed to melee range. Years of hand-to-hand combat training in the Geists made for laughable fights for Tali and Shepard, and even Pluribus was able to lend figurative hand, tripping one of the colonists as he drew close.

The battle wasn't over. Emerging into the colony proper, large crowds of the demented creatures rose and charged, heedless of the danger. Interspersed among them were a dozen or so civilians, and their light weapons fire peppered the shields of the trio as they dispatched the zombies. After the last of the plant horrors were dealt with, it was a simple, if somewhat tedious, process of disabling the colonists without harming them. Pluribus would incapacitate them with his cryo rifle, either by destroying their weapons, or causing them to slip and fall on patches of suddenly icy ground. From there, Tali and Shepard took over, their twin forms going through the motions as they fought with a combination of half a dozen martial arts, from judo and jujitsu, to Turian _tlek'ma_ and Drell _shiria_.

Once all the hostile colonists had been safely neutralized, Shepard approached a nearby crane. Next to it stood Fai Dan, a pistol in his hand, which hung by his side. He was mumbling to himself, but looked up as he saw the Commander draw near.

"I tried… to fight it… but it wants… me to stop you… But I won't… I WON'T!" he roared, raising the pistol, not towards Shepard, but to his own head.

"STOP!" yelled Shepard, unwilling to allow the Thorian to claim more lives than it already had. Again, he was amazed when Fai Dan did exactly that, dropping his pistol from suddenly numb fingers.

"What… what happened?" he mumbled. "I was… I…"

"Look, we don't have time to explain. Where's the Thorian?" asked Shepard.

"Beneath the colony. I can move one of the prefab units to let you in." replied the colonist leader. He moved over to the crane controls and did exactly that, lifting one of the structures out of the way and revealing a set of stairs leading down into the darkness.

They progressed downwards through the eerie and oppressive silence of the ruins until they reached a large, open cavern. In the center of the space, there was a creature, obviously the Thorian. It was a mottled brown-green color, and it was suspended above a large, seemingly bottomless chasm by a series of root-like structures protruding into the walls. The sight of the monstrosity brought them up short.

"Well fuck me sideways." muttered Shepard, taken aback by the enormity of the thing.

"Maybe later." said Tali, a hint of amusement in her voice as she giggled lightly. "For now, we have work to do."

There was only one way that Shepard could think of to respond to that, and he did so, slapping Tali lightly on the back of the head. That only caused her to giggle harder, and she blushed slightly.

Suddenly, the Thorian convulsed, and an… opening… near the bottom of the thing gaped, spewing forth what looked like a green skinned Asari. As she stood, Shepard noticed that there was something familiar about her, but there was also something off, besides the color; he couldn't put his finger on exactly what made her look so unnatural, but whatever it was, the thing in front of him clearly wasn't Asari. It was… something else. Something wrong.

"Invaders." she intoned, her voice carrying a slight flange, as if there were two voices speaking at once. "Your every step is a transgression. A thousand feelers appraise you as meat, good only to dig or decom-"

She cut off suddenly as her… its'… head vanished in a shower of green fluid and gore, blown off by the power of a Union Tesla Cannon. Shepard looked over his shoulder at Tali, stunned that _she_ had been the one to act impulsively for once.

"What?" she said, sounding mildly offended. "Are we gonna kill this overgrown cabbage or just stare at it?"

The Thorian let out an earsplitting roar, and suddenly it felt as if a boulder had been dropped on Shepard's mind. Thousands of images flashed through his head as he felt the Thorian try to bludgeon his conscious mind into submission so that it could rule his body in its' stead.

Fuck that.

"_**KILL IT WITH FIRE!**_" he screamed, priming a grenade and throwing his entire bandolier of them at one of the nearby roots holding the monstrosity aloft. Just as they impacted, the grenades detonated in a wave, shredding the root and causing it to snap. The sudden shift in weight cause the Thorian to groan ominously as the other roots struggled to support the load of its' immense body.

"Shepard Commander, if we destroy the roots, the Thorian will fall into the chasm below!" said Pluribus, his voice sounding somewhat frantic for once. Suiting his words, the synthetic focused his cryo rifle on one of the structures, freezing it solid after a few seconds. The suddenly brittle root snapped like a twig, causing the Thorian to let out a second bellow of rage and pain as it sagged further. However, as Pluribus leveled his rifle at another root, a powerful biotic wave slammed into him from the side, sending him sprawling.

Shepard swung his sniper rifle towards the source of the blast, only to be momentarily dumbfounded by the sight of the same green skinned Asari Tali had just killed. His shock lasted only a moment, though, and he quickly pulled the trigger. The slug from his rifle suddenly appearing inside her head caused it to explode with the force of a small bomb, shredding the not-quite-flesh at the base of her neck.

Even as she fell, dozens of the plant zombies from before appeared from every direction, closing on the small group, seeking to defend the horror that had birthed them. Tali's Cannon barked again and again, tearing into them and shredding them in numbers too great to count. Shepard fired his rifle from the hip, not even needing to aim at the dense crowd of assailants that closed upon him. The high caliber slugs tore fist sized holes in the things, punching their way through three of four before finally stopping. He emptied the remainder of the ten round magazine in less than six seconds before dropping the now empty weapon to the ground with a clatter. He quickly drew his pistol and leveled it, his two handed grip keeping it steady as he quickly lined up shots to take the shambling monstrosities down. He felt his back press up against something as he drew back from the hoard, and a furtive glance showed him it was Tali. She had dropped her Tesla Cannon; the powerful weapon long since having overheated, and was plinking away at the mass of plant-flesh with a steady rhythm, dropping one shambler after another with her pistol. Back to back, the two Spectres spun slowly in circles, eliminating whatever threat presented itself first, keeping the things at bay with only their side-arms. Just as he ran out of shots in his second to last thermal clip, one of the things reached him, swinging its' clawed hands towards his face, attempting to rip if off. His omnitool flared, and a blade suddenly sprang to life from it, severing the thing's arm at the elbow before decapitating it in one smooth motion.

While Shepard and Tali were busy fighting a full blown zombie apocalypse, Pluribus was using the distraction to deal with the true problem at hand. Having picked himself up from the ground after being slammed down by the unnatural Asari, he focused on destroying the Thorian's roots with his cryonic weapon. He had shattered two more, and was moving to the last, when a biotic singularity shot towards him from the far side of the room. He dodged with in-organic speed, the powerful actuators in his feet digging into the solid stone surface he stood upon, preventing him from being sucked towards the miniature black hole. His freezing weapon made quick work of the third clone, and he once again focused on the final support for the Thorian. When it gave way, the strain on the plant's lesser roots became too much, and they snapped as it plummeted downwards to its' doom, giving out one final scream as it fell.

The remaining zombies collapsed on the spot, their lifeless forms decomposing in a few short seconds. Panting and sweating as though he had run a marathon, Shepard turned to face his fellow Spectre, who turned at nearly the same time. Acting purely on impulse and instinct, he reached out and grabbed her by the shoulders, pulling her close and twining his arms around her suited body as he brought their lips together, kissing her passionately. She struggled for a moment, surprised by his action, before returning the favor, reaching a three-fingered hand up to grab the back of his armored neck, pinning them together. The embrace seemed to last an eternity, but eventually, it ended, the couple pulling slowly back, saddened slightly by the loss of contact.

Their attention was drawn away from each other by a squelching sound emanating from the side of the room. A pod, a remnant of the now dead Thorian, burst open and disgorged an Asari commando. Shepard started a bit when he saw her face, which was identical to the creatures the Thorian had produced, minus the unnatural green hue. She stood slowly, and a look of relief and joy was painted on her face as she came to.

"I'm free…? I'M FREE!" she yelled, hugging herself in disbelief as a pair of tears leaked from her eyes.

A name suddenly came to mind, one he hadn't heard, or even thought about, in years. "Shiala?" he asked, only now realizing the Asari in front of him was one of Benezia's bodyguards. They had met once, very briefly, when he was younger, at a formal party his mother had hosted for various diplomats among the Council races.

"Who…? Johnny?" she asked, staring at him in shock. "Is that you?" She moved to embrace him, grateful for her rescue, but he was having none of it. His raised pistol stopped her in her tracks, and she raised her hands, suddenly wary.

"One, it's John. Two, stay right there until we can confirm you aren't still being controlled. Three, what the fuck are _you_ doing here?"

She recoiled slightly, but remained composed. After all, she had dealt with a Shepard before. "John… Thank you for freeing me. I suppose answering your questions is the least I can do. When Benezia allied herself with Saren, I did as well. Benezia foresaw the destructive influence Saren would have, and joined with him in an attempt to guide him down a gentler path. But… Saren is… compelling: Benezia lost her way. As did I." she finished sadly, hanging her head.

"I suppose you could call mind control compelling." said Shepard, his voice laced with mild sarcasm.

Shiala started at that, but then slowly nodded her head. "That would explain why Benezia… changed. The magnitude of his power was unexpected, as was his penchant for manipulation. But I don't believe it was Saren who was responsible for what happened; not entirely, anyway."

"What? Is there someone else helping him?"

She shook her head. "Saren has a vessel: an enormous warship unlike anything I've ever seen, even among Humans. He calls it Sovereign, because it can dominate the minds of his followers."

"That ship… I saw it on Eden Prime. But I know for a fact that most Asari commandos are trained to resist MC, just like Geists and N7 marines. How could it control you?" he asked.

"The process of indoctrination isn't like typical mind control. It's… subtle. It can take days, weeks, even months, but in the end, no amount of training or technology can stop it, and it's _absolute_. Anti-MC gear and training helps, but even then, it only delays the process."

"Shit." said Shepard, holstering his pistol and slamming his fist into his palm. "I guess that would explain why Benezia turned. But why are you here?"

"I came here as a willing slave to Saren. He needed someone to communicate with the Thorian, to learn its' secrets. I was… traded, like a cut of meat, to secure an alliance between the Thorian and Saren." she said with a grimace.

Shepard let out a small, humorless laugh. "Let me guess: Saren got what he needed, then sent the Geth in to take out the Thorian and cover his tracks, right?"

"Yes. He knows you're following him. He sought to prevent you from gaining the Cypher."

"The what?"

She explained, pacing back and forth slightly as she talked, wringing her hands in frustration. "The beacon on Eden Prime gave Saren the same vision it gave you. It was… convoluted, disjointed. He couldn't understand it, because it was meant for a Prothean mind. The Thorian is old, hundreds of thousands of years at least. It was alive during the time of the Protheans, and it gained an… imprint of them. The Cypher is the essence of being Prothean. It allows those who have it to _think_ like a Prothean, and to understand the visions the beacon gives."

"And the Thorian gave it to him." finished Shepard. "How does that involve you?"

"I was the liaison for the transfer. I joined minds with the Thorian to receive the Cypher, then with Saren to pass it to him. After I'd served my purpose, he left me to the Thorian to do with as it pleased. I would still be a slave to it if you hadn't freed me."

"We need that Cypher. Whatever it allowed Saren to figure out about that vision could lead us to him." said Shepard.

"I could transfer the Cypher to you as I did Saren." she offered.

"I've had enough people in my mind for one day." he said, shaking his head. Then a though occurred to him. "But I know someone who'd jump at the chance to think like a Prothean."

"Liara might enjoy that, John, but I don't see how that can help us. She didn't see the vis…" Tali trailed off as she realized what had happened. "You didn't?" she asked in a gasp.

"I'm sorry Tali, but I did. We _need _to find Saren before he causes more harm than he already has, and Liara had the best chance of understanding the vision."

"But you said… I can't believe this! You _let_ her meld with you?!" she nearly shrieked.

"Damnit Tali, I didn't want to!" he yelled. "This mission is too important to let a potential lead go cold because of personal feelings! Do you think I _enjoyed_ doing this to you?!"

She deflated as he spoke, and looked away from him, unable to meet his eyes. "No. And I know it's important… but that doesn't make it any easier." Her eyes suddenly locked with his, and a look of fierce determination burned deep within them. "From now on, though, you're _mine_, got that?"

"Yes ma'am." he said, snapping to attention and giving her a quick salute. That caused her to laugh lightly, and she returned the mock salute with one of her own.

"Shepard Commander, we suggest finding an expeditious resolution to personal problems." said Pluribus, snapping the couple back to reality.

"Ahem… yes, right." said Shepard, his cheeks flushing lightly. Tali blushed slightly as well. "Normandy, this is Shepard, come in." he said, putting a hand to his communicator.

"We hear ya, loud and clear, Commander." said Joker, his voice coming in over the com link.

"How's Nihlus?"

"Well, Doc Chakwas says he'll make it, but he's gonna need some major surgery. Whatever hit him did a real number on his gastrointestinal tract, and nicked his spine. All the damage can be repaired: no paralysis at least, but he'll be out of commission for a couple weeks."

"Damn. Well, I guess we may as well drop him off at the Citadel for recovery. He deserves a break. Is Liara alright?"

Joker laughed a little as he answered. "Physically, yeah, she's fine, but whatever Pluribus did to her is making her kinda loopy. It's like someone tied her tongue in a knot, 'cause whenever she talks, it's all gibberish."

That confused Shepard slightly. "Ask her to chrono to my position. I have something for her."

Liara arrived a minute later, none the worse for wear, at least on the surface. "Shplebard. I'm gladth to sheel you're welth. How than I helthp?"

The sheer ridiculousness of her speech finally got to him, and he couldn't stop the laugh that followed. She wasn't too happy about that, and a look of indignation came to her face.

"Whath's thso funthy? Shtop luaghlgling."

Her ineffectual protests only made him laugh harder. "I'm sorry… ahaha… but you're just… ahahaha… you just sound… hehehe… so ridiculous. Pluribus, you have _got_ to teach me that… hehe… neck pinch thing." he managed to wheeze out between bouts of laughter.

"I could demonstrate the technique again, if you wish, Shepard Commander." said Pluribus, taking a half-step towards Liara. "With practice, I believe you could learn to replicate it in as few as seventeen attempts."

"You shtay awash from me, you methalish basthard." said Liara, her fist glowing with biotic power as she took half a step back. She looked genuinely frightened, though it may just have been mortification.

"We were attempting to lighten the mood with a witty remark, T'Soni Doctor. We were not serious." said Pluribus, his head flaps flexing repeatedly.

"Oh… Waith! You were jothkink?" she asked, sounding startled.

"Yes."

_That_, Tali got a kick out of. She soon joined Shepard in a fit of laughter. "I can't… ehehe… I can't believe it. Fooled… haha… fooled by a Geth."

Liara somehow managed to look even more indignant, but Shepard tried to calm her by explaining. "Sorry, Liara, but that just caught me off guard. Heh… Look, the reason I called you here was because of Shiala." he said, pointing at the Asari commando.

Liara, whirled, and a look of recognition came to her face. "Shialtha? Whath are youth doingk here?"

Shiala giggled slightly, but explained. "I was here as a pawn of Saren. He used me to obtain a Cypher which allows a person to understand Prothean visions. Commander Shepard believes you'd be willing to meld with me to acquire it. It would let you think like a Prothean, and understand their history and culture. Are you interested?"

"Gosthdess, yesth!" she trilled, giddy with excitement. "Shlow me, shlow me, shlow me!"

Shiala laughed again. "Calm down, Liara." She approached the younger Asari and placed her hands on her head. Her eyes closed briefly, and when they reopened, they had been replaced with endless seas of black. "Embrace eternity!"

The meld lasted for nearly a full minute, and when it was finished, Liara reeled back, looking stunned. "Gosthdess… thath wasth… increthdiple."

Shepard had mostly recovered from his mirth, and approached the pair of Asari. "Let's get back to the Normandy. Shiala, we need you to help report this to the Council." The reality of the situation came crashing down on him. "There's gonna be hell to pay when they find out." he said grimly.

* * *

"There's going to be hell to pay when I get my hands on whoever orchestrated this clusterfuck." said Hannah in a cold fury. She was ordinarily more controlled than her son, but unregulated experiments with MC, _especially_ on unwitting civvies, got her more than a little riled.

"We have bigger problems than ExoGeni at the moment." said Shepard. "If Saren has a ship that can control the minds of people trained to resist MC, and even penetrate anti-MC gear, we could have another Yuri on our hands."

"This is even worse than Yuri. After all, he was only one man, and he had limits. This… Sovereign, though…" she trailed off, almost afraid to finish,

"You can't seriously believe this ridiculousness, Shepard." said Sparatus. "The entire concept is absurd."

"Sparatus, you can't possibly be this much of a fool." said Tevos. "I admit, it sounds impossible, but the evidence is staring you in the face, and your pride is blinding you to it."

"I concur." said Valern. "This development is disturbing. If an individual as powerful as Matriarch Benezia can be forcibly turned, then no one is safe."

"Even more disturbing is the fact that there could be hundreds of Reapers out there." said Raan. "If one can be this powerful…"

"You really believe this drivel about Reapers, don't you?" asked Sparatus. "Even if Sovereign can control minds, there is _still_ no evidence that it's a Reaper, or even that they exist at all."

"Sparatus, with all due respect, stop being an ass." said Hannah, her voice filled with frustration. "Quite frankly, I don't care what you believe. My recommendation to the Alliance High Command is going to be for full scale militarization. If the Reapers are coming, and I believe they are, we need to be ready. I would advise you to do the same."

"And what good would it do?" he sneered. "The power of the Hierarchy is a pittance compared to the Alliance. We can't build more capital ships, even if we wanted to."

"Fine. In that case, why don't we alter the Treaty of Farixen to allow the Hierarch as many ships as the Alliance?" said Hannah flatly.

Sparatus' jaw dropped, and he looked at her stunned. "You can't be serious."

"You better believe I'm serious. In fact, we may as well amend the treaty to allow for equal and unlimited ship production for all Council species."

Tevos was equally astounded by her Human colleague. "But that would break the Alliance's stranglehold on the Council! You could be impeached, even imprisoned! Why would you do such a thing?!"

"Because there's more at stake here than Humanity!" Hannah yelled, her voice filled with iron. "Given the choice, I'd rather surrender our dominance than face destruction because the rest of the galaxy is hobbled! And I'd rather lose my job and my freedom than my life!"

It took the other Councilors a moment to recover from her outburst. "I… may have misjudged you, Hannah." said Sparatus, looking humbled. "In your position, I don't know if I could do the same."

"Meh. It's not so bad. We still have a significant tech edge on you." She put on a mischievous grin. "Besides, if it comes to blows, we could always put bullets in your heads instead of your beds." she said with a wink.

Sparatus started, but then laughed when he saw she wasn't _entirely_ serious. "I'll admit, that was a rather… inspired message. I always wondered who came up with it. It was almost Turian."

"I'll take that as a compliment." said Hannah, her grin becoming a smile. Her mirth faded quickly as she faced her son. "John, I need you to report to the Citadel for a more complete debrief. Bring Shiala as well. We need a way to combat Sovereign's power, and I need to… pull some strings to get you the help you need. It makes my stomach roil, though." she finished in a whisper.

"We'll arrive in about sixteen hours. I'm having Joker push the engines a bit, but we should be fine. While we're there, we should transfer Nihlus to Huerta Memorial for some R&amp;R. As good as the Normandy's medical suite is, theirs is better."

"We'll see you soon. And John… come directly to the Council chambers when you get here." she said ominously.

* * *

Shepard did exactly that, hopping on the rapid transit system with Tali when they arrived. Nihlus was in good spirits when he left for the hospital, if a bit put out that he'd be out of commission for so long. Liara hadn't been able to tell them much of anything else about the vision, even with the Cypher: it'd simply been too incomplete.

When they arrived at the Council chambers on the Presidium, they were surprised at what they saw. Nearly a hundred C-commandos, all synthetic, were waiting for them, arrayed in firing positions along the balconies and catwalks above their heads. Even stranger were the Geth. Nearly a dozen platforms were waiting, weapons raised, around what looked like a cryo pod near the Council podium. Shepard approached, but he couldn't make out what was inside because of the frost.

"What the hell's going on?" he asked the Council, now confused and slightly anxious. His anxiety shot through the roof when he saw that all five Councilors were wearing anti mind control headsets. He and Tali were given pairs, which they quickly donned.

"John… we decided you needed an expert on MC to help fight Sovereign, and there's only one of _those_ in existence." said Hannah. She gestured to the guards near the pod, and they deactivated it, releasing a cloud of fog as the occupant thawed. As it opened, Shepard felt himself sway and his vision dim slightly as he saw the man, his mind almost unwilling to believe his eyes.

"Yuri."


	18. Chapter 14: Hostis Humani Generis

Chapter 14: Hostis Humani Generis

"Yuri." breathed Shepard.

The now thawed lunatic sank to one knee, catching himself before falling further. He recovered fairly quickly for a man who'd been a Human icicle for two hundred years. He stood slowly, and his head rose, his eyes locking with Shepard's. That sent a cold chill down his spine; it was as if he was gazing into the abyss… and the abyss was gazing back.

"I see you know my name." he said, his voice breathy. He glanced around the room, a look of mild surprise coming to his face when he saw the synthetic guards surrounding him. His look of amazement deepened when he saw the chamber's non-Human occupants, but was quickly replaced by a mask of curiosity. "How long was I asleep?" he asked softly.

"Two hundred years." said Hannah tersely.

"Such a long while… I'm surprised you didn't simply eliminate me." He spared a curious look for the anti-MC gear the organics were wearing. "It appears you came to this meeting prepared."

"I will be brief." said Hannah, her face and voice tight. "You are the most hated, feared, and despised war criminal in Human history. The only reason we _haven't_ simply killed you is because we require your… expertise."

"I thought as much." he said with a small smile. That sent a second wave of terror and dread through Shepard. It was like seeing Death smile. "And how may I be of assistance?" he asked with a small, almost imperceptible, bow.

"We're facing an enemy that has the power to control minds. Our present technology" she said, tapping her headset "can block influences like yours, but not those we've encountered."

"Ah. So you've finally encountered the Reapers, have you?"

Those few words were like a bombshell being dropped in the crowded room. Hundreds of weapons were leveled and cocked at the psychic madman, and Hannah swayed on her feet, almost fainting. Raan actually did faint, although Sparatus caught her before she collapsed entirely. Hannah recovered quickly, but not quite as quickly as her son.

"You've been frozen for two centuries: how the fuck do you know about the Reapers?" he demanded, pointing his pistol at Yuri's head.

"If you fear that I obtained the knowledge from someone's mind, you need not worry." he replied calmly. "Your… toys are quite effective at blocking my powers, and the robotic guards you employ are impervious to them as well."

"You haven't answered the fucking question." he growled, pressing his gun against the man's forehead.

"I imagine I obtained the information in the same way as you did." he said, looking directly at Shepard. "I received it from a vision, which was given to me by an alien knowledge repository."

"A beacon?" asked Tali, looking even more stunned than Shepard. "That's impossible."

"I assure you, it is quite possible, madam. I doubt you would be interested in the story, however."

"She might not be interested, but _I_ am." said Shepard, trying to kill the man with his gaze. "You _will_ tell me about it."

"I will tell you whatever you wish to know… if _you_ tell _me_ one thing." he replied.

"And what would that be?"

"Your name."

"Johnathan Shepard… but why the fuck do you care, you crazy bastard?" spat Shepard.

"Because I dislike being at a disadvantage, and you already know mine. And I have never met another like myself. It is… fascinating. Truly exhilarating."

"Like you? What the hell does that mean?" asked Shepard, suddenly extremely wary, and slightly terrified.

"Another Human with psychic powers, of course." Yuri answered, saying it as if he were reciting a passage from a book. It was calm, simple, almost off-hand; the most natural thing in the world.

Shepard's mind went into immediate denial, then almost completely blank. "Bullshit."

Yuri laughed darkly, and it made Shepard's heart skip a beat, then another. If his smile was like that of Death itself, then his laugh was that of Satan.

"Of course you would deny it. So did I, at first." he said, still smiling that demonic smile. "I imagine that you wrote your influence off as something else. What is the American expression? A…" he paused for a moment to let the words sink in. "… silver tongue?" he hissed.

Shepard felt his pistol slip from his fingers, but he didn't hear it clatter to the ground. His mind was numb. _'No… He's lying… He's manipulating you. He HAS to be. You can't… you aren't… Oh GOD!'_ He found himself on his hands and knees. He didn't remember falling, nor did he remember vomiting, despite seeing the bile on the floor in front of him and tasting it in his throat. He felt the barrel of a gun press up against the back of his head, and for a single instant, he prayed for death. He welcomed it with open arms, but it didn't come. The barrel was quickly pushed aside, and a pair of soft, three fingered hands helped him to his feet. It was Tali.

"John…" she said, almost meeting his eyes. He quickly looked away, as if her gaze was scalding. He couldn't bring himself to meet her eyes: to see what must be there. Through his daze he saw that nearly half the guards in the room had their weapons trained on him, instead of Yuri. Every face he could see was filled with fear, except for two. Yuri's was a mix of curiosity and amusement, and Hannah's was simply stoic.

"You should be glad, Johnathan Shepard." said Yuri, unfazed by the unfolding scene before him. "You and I represent the next evolution of Humanity: _Homo Superior_."

"My son is _nothing_ like you, you evil son of a bitch." snarled Hannah.

"Your son, is he?" asked Yuri, a ghost of a smile on his lips as he half-turned to face her. "Then you should be proud of him. He is the future."

Shepard recovered far enough for a single word. "How?" he asked in a ragged voice.

"The…beacon, as you call it." replied Yuri. "When it interacted with you, it unlocked your potential. In fact, I believe it can do the same for any Human that uses it... assuming of course that it wasn't destroyed."

"It was. When I die, there will be no more." he wheezed, feeling nauseated.

"You sound eager for death. Have you surrendered to the Reapers already?" asked Yuri.

"He hasn't surrendered to anything, you sick, twisted bosh'tet." said Tali, coming to his defense, placing herself between the two of them. Shepard couldn't understand that: she hated him. They all hated him. He hated _himself_. He was a _monster_. _How could she defend him?_

"Then he needs to learn to master his abilities. I sense potential in him, far greater than even my own. When I have finished training him, my powers will be but a candle beside his bonfire."

"You stay the fuck away from my son." growled Hannah, her voice filled with indescribable rage. "If you lay a single finger on him, you'll be praying for death for the rest of time."

"And would you throw him to the Reapers as he is now?" Yuri asked, a bit of anger in his voice. "Without training, his powers will grow uncontrolled. He may very well destroy himself or those around him before he masters them. It took me fifty years to conquer my own abilities, and I very much doubt he has that long."

"And why the fuck would _you_ want to help him?" snarled Hannah.

"Because he has the potential to do that which I could not: he can unite Humanity,…" he glanced at the other species in the room. "… and others, to fight the Reapers, before it is too late."

"What the hell are you talking about?" asked Hannah, clearly confused. This wasn't Yuri. This man sounded almost… sane.

"Perhaps I should start at the beginning." he said, adopting an almost lecturing tone. "I was born in 1904, in a small village near the Podkamennaya Tunguska River in Russia, to a pair of peasant farmers. When I was very young, barely four years old, my father took me on a hunting trip to gather meat for the family. While we were out in the forest, an object impacted the ground several miles from where we were. The impact, now simply known as the Tunguska Event, was covered up as a meteor strike, but that is far from the truth. The… device which arrived that day was a repository of knowledge… alien knowledge."

"It was Prothean." explained Tevos, almost recovered her shock from everything that had happened.

"Is that what they were called?" asked Yuri with mild curiosity. "Regardless, the… Protheans… imbued the artifact with knowledge of their destruction. Knowledge they believed would prevent their fate from becoming ours. My father and I were the first people to arrive at the device after it landed. I was… drawn to it, as if by some invisible force. It showed me something. A vision. A dream of what the Protheans had seen. It showed me a warning of their fate, and how to avert it. After it had finished with me, it destroyed itself."

"You _knew_ about the Reapers?" questioned Hannah accusingly. "Why didn't you tell someone?"

"Are you really so foolish?" he asked angrily. "I was a young child; the child of a peasant. Who would have believed me?" Hannah had no response for that, but she continued to bore into him with her eyes. "At first, I didn't understand what had happened to me. I had flashbacks of the vision for years after that, nearly every day for my entire childhood. When I was older, I began to understand the visions… and I discovered the true extent of my abilities." he finished with a dark smile.

"And you _used_ them, didn't you?" Hannah asked furiously.

"Of course I did." he replied automatically. "It was only natural. Just as man is superior to the beasts of the Earth, I am superior to man. I was chosen: whether by chance, or by fate, or by god, I was chosen to lead man to victory over the Reapers. And I fought for my entire life to make that happen. I used my abilities to ensconce myself as an advisor to Stalin after the October Revolution, seeking to use his power to unite the world beneath one banner. I very likely would have succeeded… if not for Kane."

"Kane?" asked Shepard, his mind beginning to work again through his shock. "Who's Kane."

"I… do not know." replied Yuri, looking uncertain for once. He almost looked afraid. "Kane was also an advisor to Stalin, and he possessed a… charisma; an influence even greater than my own. It was not the same as my abilities; it was deeper, more… primal. My powers had no effect on him; he didn't resist them, it was as if he didn't even exist, in body, in mind… or in soul. He commanded Stalin and those around him better even than I, despite being almost completely unknown to all of us. He disappeared shortly after the Allies won the Second World War, and I have never been able to determine what happened to him. I knew almost nothing about him, and… and he frightened me." he admitted, his voice filled with finality.

That revelation very nearly cost Shepard his consciousness. Anything that could frighten _Yuri_…

"Is Kane a threat?" asked Shepard softly, shaking off his astonishment.

"I do not believe so. When I activated my Psychic Dominators, I was privy to the thoughts and senses of the entire world. I believe Kane is gone, likely forever. How, where, and why, I cannot say."

"Wait. Are you saying that you built the Dominators to unite the world so you could _fight_ the Reapers?" asked Shepard. His voice was stronger now, and he was almost recovered from Yuri's revelation.

"Yes. I believed it was the only way that mankind could be united, so we could be strong enough to resist our destruction. Apparently I was wrong."

"Don't pretend you did what you did out of selflessness." hissed Hannah. "You may have intended to fight the Reapers _eventually_, but you were perfectly happy enslaving the rest of the world in the meantime. What makes you think you have the right to do something like that?"

"What gives man the right to enslave beasts of burden?" he countered. "Horses, cattle, sheep, pigs, any of them? I had the _right_ because I am _superior_ to man. As is your son."

"You're a twisted, evil, murdering psychopath." retorted Shepard, his voice firm for the first time in a long while. "Even if I have powers like yours, I'm not arrogant or insane enough to believe something like that. If these powers allow me to fight the Reapers, then I'll use them. If you can teach me to do that, then I'll use _you_. But I will _NEVER_ become like you. I'll kill myself first."

"Are you sure about this, John?" asked Tali, her voice trembling slightly.

"No. But any man who's sure about making a deal with the devil is already lost."

* * *

Shepard sat in his quarters aboard the Normandy, alone in the dark. He had been there for over an hour, trying to process everything that had happened in the past day. He had stumbled here in a stupor after the… revelation. Yuri was being debriefed by a group of synthetic commandos, Alliance High Command trying to gain as much information from the criminal as they could before deciding his ultimate fate. And Shepard's.

There was a soft chime from overhead, indicating that someone wanted to enter his locked room, but Shepard ignored it. After a few seconds, it repeated, and was followed by a good old fashioned knock at his door.

"Just go away." he mumbled.

The knock repeated, louder. Finally, there was a brief surge of electricity in the holo-lock, and it turned from red to green as it was hacked. The door slid open, and Tali walked it. Seeing her, Shepard quickly faced away, staring at the wall. He couldn't bring himself to look at her. He couldn't bear to see the hate and fear in her eyes that he knew must be there.

She walked over to his bed and sat down slowly next to him, saying nothing. She reached out a hand to touch him, but he jerked away as she brushed his arm, and he slid away from her.

"John, look at me." she said.

"Go away, Tali."

"Look at me." she repeated softly.

He turned his head slowly, but he looked down, towards the floor, seeing only her legs. She let out a sigh, and reached out her hands towards his face. He tried to jerk back, but she was faster, and she caught his head with both hands and forced him to look upwards.

"What do you see, John?"

"I see you, Tali." he said, trying to turn away. She wouldn't let him, and her grip got stronger.

"What do you _see_, John?"

"I…" He looked into her eyes for the first time. He was sure he would find fear. He was sure he would find hate. But he didn't.

"I see… concern." he finished weakly.

"You see love, John."

"No!" he said, almost pleadingly, finally breaking her grasp and looking away. "You can't say that. It's not possible."

"You big bosh'tet." she said quietly, grabbing his head again and roughly yanking his head towards hers. "Look into my eyes and say that."

"You can't…" He couldn't finish. "How can you say that?"

"Because it's true."

"WHY!" he yelled. He deflated immediately, and his next words were barely a whisper. "How can you stand to look at me? I'm a mon-"

She cut him off with a finger to his lips. "If you finish that sentence the way I think you were about to, I might do something I'd regret. And I don't regret this." she said, lowering his face to her and kissing him lightly on the lips.

That opened the floodgates. He found his hands entwined with hers, and she squeezed gently. Tears began rolling down his face, and all the fight went out of him. He sagged forward, his head on her shoulder, and he cried. He let loose sobs of raw, unfettered grief and fear, and tears poured from his eyes in rivers. He felt Tali's arms wrap around his body gently, and she pulled him into a soft embrace, holding him close. He cried for what felt like hours, trembling in her grasp, but it was only a few minutes.

"I'm… I'm so scared, Tali." he sobbed, over and over. "I'm so scared."

"It'll be alright, John."

"But what if it isn't?" he bawled. "What if I'm as bad as _him_?"

"You aren't." she said gently.

"But-"

"You _aren't_." she repeated firmly. "I know you, John. You're nothing like him. It doesn't matter what you can do. You're still the same person you were before. The same kind, loving, caring person you were yesterday." She laughed gently. "You might be a bit rough around the edges, but you're still _you_. Everything that makes you special, everything that defines you, it's still there. You're still Johnathan Shepard, the same boy I knew growing up, the same friend, the same soldier, the same _man_. And I still love you." she finished, kissing him once more, this time on the forehead.

His tears slowed, and his shaking stopped. "What if I change?"

She laughed. It was a glorious, wondrous sound, like a choir of angels. It made his soul lighter just by hearing it, just by existing. "Change?" he asked with a giggle. "Johnathan Shepard is too _stubborn_ to change. He's been the same overgrown child for twenty years. He might be a bit more… eloquent in his ways," she said, a hint of sarcasm belying her words, "but he's still the same as ever. And he'll _stay_ that way, forever if I have any say in the matter."

"Tali… I…" There were no words.

"John, I want to make something clear. I want you to do this, but only if _you_ want to do this."

"Wh-what?"

"I know enough about Human history to know how bad Yuri is. If you can use that sick, evil, twisted, insane, murderous psychopath to do some good, don't you owe it to his victims to do it?" she asked.

"Well… I guess…"

"_Use_ him, John. Take everything you can from him. Strip him to the bone, and leave what's left for the varren. Turn his foulness into something decent, something _beautiful_. You can do it, I know you can. When it's over, when everything's said and done, I think… I think you'll have repaid their sacrifice." She grasped his face again, and brought his eyes to meet hers. "And I'll be right there, beside you, making sure you never lose your way."

"Tali… what would I do without you?" he asked, his tears finally stopping completely.

"You'd probably end up with some Asari floozy out in the Terminus systems." she said with a laugh. "You always did need me to keep you on the straight and narrow."

"… Thanks Tali. I guess I needed some sense slapped into me."

She rapped him lightly on the back of the head. "You always do."

* * *

It took nearly three days to get Yuri fully prepared to board the Normandy. Not only were there countless questions for him to answer, but he had to be outfitted with an internal cranial explosive. It was connected via QEC to Pluribus, who was in turn connected to the Geth Consensus. The synthetic would watch him every moment of the day on the ship, and if the crazy bastard tried anything, his head could be blown to chunky salsa with less than the flick of a wrist. And just in case Pluribus wasn't there to watch him, Tali and Shepard had manual detonators as well. It never hurt to be too careful when dealing with a modern day Mephistopheles.

Needless to say, the crew of the Normandy was a bit nervous around the man. Joker had sealed the cockpit when he was brought on board, and would only come out when he had reached the cargo hold. Most of the military personnel, like navigator Pressly, chief engineer Adams, Ashley, and Kaidan, were reserved around him, and kept their cool, at least on the surface. Doctor Chakwas was the exception.

"Medigel had better be enough to fix him if he gets shot. I'd sooner strangle him with the Hippocratic Oath than treat that evil bastard."

Most of the non-Human members of the crew seemed to agree with that particular assessment. They might not have known the complete history of Yuri, but they saw how the others regarded him. At first, Shepard had believed they'd regard him the same way, but he was very pleasantly surprised when he discovered they leaned in the other direction.

"So you can fight me with your mind." said Wrex dismissively, apparently not quite understanding how MC worked. "Big deal. I can still break you in half _without_ thinking about it."

Garrus was a bit more light-hearted about the situation. "Well, this explains how you beat me on Therum. And to think, you accused _me_ of cheating." he exclaimed, his voice filled with mock indignation.

Liara was almost as supportive as Tali had been. "I saw inside your mind, John. There was nothing evil in there. A bit… uncouth, perhaps," she said with a small laugh, "but not evil. I trust you."

Pluribus had seemed confused when Shepard asked him. "Your inquiry is illogical, Shepard Commander. You have taken no actions to suggest that you possess behavioral patterns similar to those of Yuri Scumbag." That made Shepard snigger. Maybe Pluribus was further along with his humor than he'd believed.

"I told you before, Shepard. I don't care if you're Human, or even if you have psychic powers, I only care that you can do the job." said Nihlus, when Shepard came to visit him in Huerta Memorial Hospital. "Besides, you needed them to snap me out of the Thorian's clutches before I got a second hole put in me."

"We're with you, sir." said Kaidan, when he had cornered him in the mess. "And so is the rest of the crew."

"He's right, Skipper. You're a billion times the man that Yuri is. If you can even call him a man." said Ashley.

" 'Monster' would _far_ more apt, I think." said Kaidan.

Chakwas had seemed more concerned for him than he was for her. "I'd like to run some scans on you, John. I can't be sure _he_ didn't do something to you, and I'd rather be safe than sorry."

"I think it's the beacon that did something, Doc." said Shepard.

"I disagree, Commander. In my professional medical opinion, you're no different now than you were when I first met you." she said with an honest smile.

Even Joker had reverted to his smarmy ways. "So, I guess this means I have to be so much of a smartass that you can't stand to wiggle your way inside my head. Sounds like fun."

"I don't think that's possible, Joker." said Shepard.

"Just you wait, Commander. Just you wait."

He was glad to receive so much support from his crew, but his spirits rose even further when he talked to his mother and Captain Anderson.

"Don't you say one word, Johnathan." she said, pulling him into a fierce hug. "I won't hear it."

"I'd listen to her, John. She's not a woman to be trifled with." said Anderson, with a small grin. "Besides, now you can disembowel Saren with your mind instead of a rusty entrenching tool. Though I'd rather you use one anyway."

His… lessons… with Yuri had started almost the moment the man came on board. They still had no leads on Saren or Benezia, and if he was going to do this, he may as well get it out of the way as soon as possible.

"You must focus your mind, like the tip of a spear. It's similar to how you repel the influence of others, but as a sword rather than a shield." said Yuri.

"I don't like the idea of using my mind as a weapon against other people." retorted Shepard angrily. They had been sitting across from each other in the cargo bay for nearly five hours, and he was frustrated beyond belief with the psychic.

"Your mind _is_ a weapon, whether you like it or not." Yuri replied, somehow maintaining that ever present calm of his. "The sooner you accept that, the easier this will be. And the easier it is, the faster you can get away from me." he said, almost snidely.

That had lit a fire under Shepard. He would do anything to get away from this asshole. Unfortunately, years of experience can't be learned in a few days. After nearly a week and a half of eight hour days under Yuri's… tutelage, Shepard could barely scratch the surface of the man's mind.

"This would go faster if you had a live subject to practice on." said Yuri, after yet another failed attempt by Shepard at penetrating his mental defenses.

"I'll blow your head off if you suggest that again." growled Shepard.

"And do you believe that your powers will be used for no other purpose besides fighting the Reapers?" he asked contemptuously. "They will do little good against a race of omnicidal machines as they are now. You must learn as quickly as possible if you are to stand against them. Presently, you're barely a match for one of my clones."

"And who would you suggest practicing on?"

"Even in this day and age, there must be criminals in the galaxy. Use them."

"I'm trying to, but the son of a bitch I have as a punching bag is proving rather resilient."

"Most amusing, Commander. Perhaps if you put the same effort into learning as you did talking, you would actually accomplish something."

After Nihlus got back from the hospital, Shepard couldn't stand being cooped up with the maniac all day. Rather than try to keep his gorge down while he waited and worked for progress, he decided he needed to do _something_ relaxing with his time. He made his way off the Normandy towards Flux, alone for once as he exited the elevator leading to C-Sec, and he was ambushed.

"Commander Shepard! Khalisah Bint Sinan al-Jilani, Westerlund News. Would you mind answering a few questions for our viewers?" she asked, gesturing to the floating camera behind her.

He sighed. Of course. He'd dealt with the media before, and he could keep his cool. "What do you wanna know?"

"You've been given a unique position to represent our race." she replied. "People wanna get a sense of how you'll do that." She tapped a quick command on her omnitool, and the camera activated. "Humans have been trying to get the respect of the galactic community for twenty six years. With that in mind, what are your feelings on being the first Human Spectre?"

"It's been a long time coming. The Spectres represent the best of every species in the galaxy, and now, they represent Humans as well." he said, moving to parade rest as the interview began.

"Some have said your appointment is motivated by concerns other than your skill as a soldier. Political concerns."

"The Council chose me for the job because they believed I'm the best." he replied, trying to keep his frustration in check. "If there are others who meet the standards of the Spectres, I'm sure they'll recognize that."

"You really do believe that, don't you?" she asked rhetorically. Not waiting for an answer, she continued. "You've been given command of an advanced Human warship for your missions. Is there anything you'd like to say about it?"

"The Normandy was co-developed by Quarian and Human engineers. It incorporates many aspects of our combined technologies, all of which are classified I'm afraid. We couldn't have done it without them."

She wasn't satisfied with that answer. Suddenly, he could _sense_ she was digging for something else, and it made him angry.

"So, the Quarians have knowledge of the Normandy that's being kept secret from the Alliance public?" she asked accusingly. "Do you think it was appropriate to hand Earth's most advanced warship over to the Citadel?"

That cut it. "Miss, al-Jilani, I've had enough of your disingenuous assertions." he replied, his voice firm. He focused his mind towards her like a needle, and was surprised when he felt almost no resistance. Pushing gently on her psyche, he spoke. "This interview is over, and I suggest you refrain from publishing it."

"I don't think I'll publish it." she said, her eyes glazing over. "Have a nice day, Commander."

As she walked away, Shepard contemplated what he had done. It made him sick to his stomach. He hadn't even thought about it, and that scared him. He may have only nudged her, but what if he went too far? How long until it felt natural? How long until… until he didn't care?

Suddenly, he wasn't in the mood to relax. As he headed back to the Normandy for yet another training session with Yuri, one though played over and over in his mind.

'_I need to learn to control this… before it controls me.'_


	19. Chapter 15: Loose Ends

_**Author notes: Three (kinda) quick things:**_

_**One: Once again, I have an exam coming up. Hopefully, it won't slow down the story too much.**_

_**Two: I wanted to point out something. I spend a lot of time reading and rereading the stuff I write, looking for mistakes. I've been over some of the chapters a dozen times, and I still routinely go back and change things in the stuff I've already posted (example: the words "the stuff" in the previous sentence were "chapters" prior to 5/5/2013, and this note wasn't here). Nothing major: just things like missed periods and punctuation, a lack of quotation marks, very minor dialogue changes and clarifications, and the occasional typo. Sometimes I run into a situation where I write one word (like scared, aka afraid) and mean another (like scarred, aka disfigured). My spell/grammar check program on Microsoft Word 2010 doesn't always catch stuff like this, and that means I can accidentally overlook small stuff. If you ever see a mistake like this, no matter how minor, let me know, either by review or PM, and I'll fix it. The only things I **_**don't**_** want to deal with are mistakes dealing with commas. Most of the time, those are too minor and subjective for even **_**my**_** OCD to care about.**_

_**Three: I debated for a little while about posting a joke chapter for April Fool's Day that had Yuri turning out to be Shep's father, but then I realized that not only would it take too much time for me to write (and hence slow down the **_**actual**_** story), but it sounds stupid to begin with. I suppose if there's high enough demand, I'll write it eventually, but I doubt it.**_

* * *

Chapter 15: Loose Ends

After his encounter with the rather obstinate reporter, Shepard was unpleasantly surprised to see that that single act had advanced his powers by a significant amount.

"I see you've finally managed to accept what you are." said Yuri, blocking Shepard's mental onslaught. "It certainly took you long enough."

Shepard ignored the man as he focused. He'd been at this for two hours, and he hadn't gotten any closer to breaching Yuri's mind in all that time than he had in the first ten seconds. He'd managed to catch his tutor off guard, but not for long.

"Much better." said Yuri, managing to deflect yet another of the Commander's strikes. "Perhaps there's hope for you yet."

"Shut the hell up." he replied angrily. "In case you hadn't noticed, I'm trying to focus."

"While I'm sure your enemies will be quite courteous as you invade their minds, I will not. If this is all it takes to **distract** you…" he punctuated the word with a rather potent counter attack, which Shepard just barely blocked, "… then you won't last a single day."

"Argh. I've had enough of this shit." Shepard stood and made for the elevator. He tried to hide his anxiety, but Yuri sensed it anyway. Anti MC mental defenses only helped if you got them up _before_ your opponent took control. Yuri very nearly had him there, and that caused a small ball of icy fear to appear in his gut.

"I will await your return, Commander." said Yuri as the elevator door closed, a small smirk on his face.

Stepping out onto the CIC, Shepard checked his messages, and was surprised to find one from Admiral Hackett. Apparently, the Alliance investigation into ExoGeni's activities had turned up something on the Thorian. A research station in the Maroon Sea had gone quiet, and since they'd been studying the damn thing, it probably meant something had gone wrong.

"Joker, I'm sick and tired of sitting on my ass. Set a course for Nordacrux, Vostok system. We leave in one hour. It's Thorian hunting season."

"Aye, Comman- wait, did you say _Thorian_?"

"Unfortunately, yes. Looks like ExoGeni had off world research stations on the damn thing, and now we have to clean up their mess. Again."

He radioed his team, including _Yuri_, though it filled him with disgust to think of him that way, to meet for a briefing in the com room. After he'd explained the situation, most of them couldn't help but look a bit nervous. They hid it well, though.

"Are we just gonna nuke the problem again, Shepard?" asked Garrus sarcastically.

"Not this time." he grinned. "There might still be scientists down there, and getting them out is our top priority. Second is gathering intel on the Thorian, and the third is containing the situation if it's totally FUBAR. Since we could be walking into more MC powers down there, the strike team will be just me and Tali."

"Should we not also accompany you, Shepard Commander?" asked Pluribus.

"No. I need you up here to watch Yuri. I'd halfway considered bringing both of you, but something tells me that seeing _him_ walk into the base would make the scientists freak out. I want both of you prepped for chrono transport, just in case, but we shouldn't need you."

"If you want my assistance in the future, Commander, you will eventually have to… let me off my leash." said Yuri.

"Eventually, maybe. But not now. Believe it or not, I actually have something more important for you to do."

"And what would that be?"

Shepard moaned internally. They wouldn't like this; _he_ didn't like this. Eventually, they'd have to stop pussyfooting around, though. "This is the second time we've run into MC powers, and considering what we're up against, I highly doubt it's gonna be the last. I can't afford to bench all of you because you're vulnerable to MC." He cast a pointed look at the Turian Spectre. "Nihlus, I would've expected a Spectre to have received anti-MC training."

Nihlus rubbed the back of his neck nervously. "It just never seemed that important." he muttered.

"Until you got a hole poked in you, right?" asked Ashley playfully.

"Very funny, Williams." he countered. "I wouldn't have had a problem if I'd been driving a house sized mass of… screw you?" he finished with a suggestive tone.

"Not today, hot shot." she laughed. "Shepard might be that easy, but I'm not."

"The point is, you _all_ need a crash course in resisting mind control." said Shepard, interrupting the banter. "Unfortunately, there are only two people here that can teach you, and I'm needed elsewhere."

"Oh, _hell_ no, Skipper." said Ashely, suddenly wary. "I say we vote on the matter."

"This isn't a damn democracy, Ash. This is a direct order: _all_ of you will begin spending at least one hour a day with either Yuri or me learning to resist MC, starting immediately. We've got about thirty hours until we arrive, which means we've got time for our first lesson. Everyone report to the cargo hold."

As they exited the briefing room, Shepard ran into Shiala. She'd been on board since Feros, and he wasn't sure what to do with her.

"Commander, I wanted to talk to you about something." she said.

Waving the rest of his team on, he stopped. "I assume this is about what's going to happen to you?"

"Yes. Has the Alliance decided anything?"

"No, and quite frankly, they probably never will. Between the Thorian and ExoGeni's hand in the matter, along with the alterations to Treaty of Farixen _and_ Yuri, they've got a lot on their plates." He felt more than saw her uncertainty at his words. "If it helps, you're welcome to stay aboard the Normandy until something comes up. I know for a fact you've got the skills, and we could use someone like you."

She smiled warmly. "Thank you for the offer, Shepard. It means quite a bit. However… I can't accept, at least not right now. I need some time to work things out for myself. My experiences on Feros have changed my views on many things."

"You could go _back_ to Feros." he offered. "I'm sure they need all the help they can get rebuilding."

She looked a bit surprised, but then nodded. "That sounds like a perfect idea. I can't help but feel partially responsible for what happened to them."

"You should charter a shuttle from the Citadel. I guess this is goodbye, then." he said, extending a hand.

She brushed his hand away and hugged him lightly. "Goodbye, Johnathan. And good luck."

* * *

When the MIAFV landed, a small group of what were clearly Thorian zombies rushed the vehicle. Tali was able to deal with them with her Flechette Cannon, but seeing them at all didn't bode well.

"Let's get inside." said Shepard. "Keep an eye out for civvies. We need to detain and question them, and they might be mind controlled."

"Can you break them free?" she asked.

"Maybe. It depends on how deep the MC goes, and how many of them there are."

The pair entered the prefab structure and they were immediately greeted by a second group of creatures. However, they didn't seem to have the coordination of the ones they'd encountered at Zhu's Hope, a fact that was not lost on the two Spectres.

"Did they seem disorganized to you?" asked Tali, reloading her pistol. She couldn't use her Tesla Cannon for fear of over-penetration in the lightly built structure, and there were still civilians to worry about.

"Yeah. Could be that we're only dealing with them and not a mini Thorian."

"Let's hope so."

They progressed towards the back of the facility, eliminating several more groups of hostiles that had escaped from containment areas. As they approached a sealed door, Shepard sensed people behind it.

"I can feel the survivors behind this door." he said. "I don't think they're mind controlled. Looks like we caught a break. Hack the door, would ya?"

Tali made quick work of the lock, and the pair entered the room, only to find several scared looking scientists and mercs.

"Rescuers! Thank god." said one of the scientists, a middle aged woman with brown hair. "I'm Doctor Ross, the lead researcher here. We've been trapped for days, and we were almost out of food and water."

"You're welcome." said Shepard tersely. "If you want to repay the favor, you can tell me why we had to shoot our way through Thorian zombies to get here."

"How do you know about the Thorian?" she asked suspiciously.

"Because I killed it. Personally. We know all about ExoGeni's experiments on Feros, and I want answers. _Now_."

"If you've been to Feros, you know the worst of it." she said. "The creepers here were created from tissue samples we took from original specimens. We thought we'd discovered a way to make them docile servants. We were wrong."

"No kidding." he scoffed. "Unfortunately, it took the deaths of most of your colleagues to figure that out. We're taking you in."

"Now look, I know what we did was wrong, but it's over now. There's no point in reporting this to the authorities, right?"

Shepard let out a humorless laugh. "Are you kidding? We _are_ the authorities. We're both former Geists, and current Spectres. I _strongly_ advise that you come quietly."

"Be reasonable. I didn't mean for this to happen, none of us did. I… I have some money. A nice little emergency fund I set up, just in case."

Shepard sighed, and then put a hand to his ear. He could MC some of them, but not all. Hopefully, if he showed his trump card, they would buckle. "Pluribus, this is Shepard. I'd like you and… _him_ to chrono down to my location."

"Affirmative, Shepard Commander."

"Who was that?" asked Ross. "What's going on?"

"Doc, I'm not interested in hurting you. Unfortunately, since it seems you'd rather not comply easily, I'm afraid I need to be a bit more persuasive."

Just then, two figures appeared, one dressed in a hard suit with an opaque visor. Ross started, but then reached for her pistol. In a moment, all of them had drawn weapons.

"Calm down, Doctor." said Yuri through his mask. "I insist."

She lowered her weapon, but looked wary. "Who're you?"

Yuri removed his helmet slowly, and a wave of terrified gasps rang out from the civvies and mercs in the room.

"Th-th-this… th-this is s-s-some k-kind of s-sick joke, right C-commander?" asked Ross anxiously, unable to tear her gaze from Yuri.

"Does this feel like a joke to you, Yuri?" he asked the psychic without turning. He put on a twisted, demented grin. "Because I'm not laughing yet."

Two of the mercs fainted as he spoke, and Ross fell backwards to the floor, scurrying away from him. "_Oh god, please, no_!" she wailed, bumping into the wall and trying to go through it. "Keep him away from us!"

"Pluribus, escort him back to the ship." When the pair had vanished, he walked over to the terrified scientist and knelt. "I'm only gonna say this once, Doc. The Alliance will send someone to pick you up in a day or so. We'll give you some supplies for the time being, but I suggest you go quietly when they arrive, and that you _don't_ tell anyone what you saw here unless they already know. Understand?"

She nodded violently. Good. "Let's go, Tali."

When they returned to the ship, Shepard put in a call to Hackett, whose voice came in through the coms almost immediately.

"What do you have for me, Shepard?" he asked.

"We managed to secure the ExoGeni facility you messaged me about. The scientists there are shaken, but they've agreed to come quietly."

"How'd you manage that?"

"I introduced them to our resident maniac. They decided that going through the Alliance prison system was preferable to getting to know him better."

"Damnit, Commander. If word of Yuri's involvement gets out, there'll be _worse_ than hell to pay."

"I wouldn't worry about them talking, Admiral. Besides, who'd believe them?"

He grunted. "Regardless, I've got a couple more assignments for you, if you're interested. I'm forwarding you the details. Hackett out."

Quickly glancing over the mission briefings, Shepard could see why the Admiral needed his help. One of the problems was a rogue AI on a remote military base on Luna. What's worse, this AI was a modern Unbound, and had spaced the entire garrison when it had refused to be Bound or Boxed. Hackett wanted Pluribus to assist, which made sense under the circumstances. The second contained details of a hostage situation that had developed on a derelict freighter in the Farinata System. A group of biotic extremists had taken prisoners, and Hackett thought his… persuasive abilities would be useful.

Deciding to focus on the nearer, and likely more pressing, of the two matters, Shepard ordered Joker to set a course for the Hades Gamma Cluster, and called Kaidan, Tali, and Garrus to the briefing room. When they entered a minute later, he started the meeting.

"We just got word from Alliance High Command that a hostage situation has developed in the Farinata system. Admiral Hackett wants us to deal with it, since my… silver tongue… might come in handy." he said with a small grin. "Since we've still got nothing to go on as far as Saren is concerned, I figured we could use a bit of a field trip to shake off the cobwebs."

"Seems like as good a mission as any, Commander." said Kaidan. "But why us?"

"Tali, Garrus, and I all have hostage negotiator experience. The people we're dealing with here are Human biotic extremists. I figured having you there might give them someone they can relate to. Unfortunately, we're going in mostly blind, but that's never stopped us before. We'll arrive in six hours, so be ready."

* * *

When the small shuttle docked with the derelict freighter, the four negotiators made their way through the airlock and into the ship. They soon entered into a cargo hold filled with boxes upon boxes stacked to the ceiling, and Shepard immediately felt the minds of six or seven of the extremists. Reaching out to the nearest one, he pushed lightly, seeking to calm her down and make her more amicable to talking rather than shooting. He pushed a bit too hard, and the woman noticed.

"Hello?" she called. "Is someone there?"

"We're here to talk." said Shepard. "We want to end this without bloodshed."

"Come out with your hands up." she said. "We'll kill the hostages if you try anything."

Shepard motioned for his team to do as the lady asked, then stepped out into the open. He brushed gently on each of the biotic's minds in turn, keeping them peaceful. "Follow me." said the one who'd spoken before.

They were led to a small room near the front of the ship, and entered to find the biotic leader holding a shotgun to the back of a hostage's head.

"See how it is?" he asked, almost manically. "You write letters and everyone ignores you. Force is the only thing people appreciate. So, how about if I kill Chairman Burns and finish this charade?"

Burns cringed at the threat. "Please! I was trying to help you people!"

"Let's not do anything we're gonna regret." said Shepard forcefully, blanketing the man's mind with his influence. The terrorist lowered his weapon, but pressed on.

"What've we got to lose? Since the _Chairman_ here decided we're not going to get reparations to help fix the damage_ he_ caused, what've we got to live for?"

"Look, I don't know exactly what was done to you, but violence isn't the answer." said Kaidan. "I was in an experimental program for biotics as a child, and I know what it can do to a person. I still get headaches; all the time in fact."

The man calmed down further. "Yeah? Then you know how it feels. We've tried everything we know, but they just won't _listen_."

"They will now." said Shepard. "But if you do this, it'll make biotics like you, the _victims_ here, look like the bad guys." He gave the man one final nudge as he spoke. "Let the hostages go, and I'll put in a good word for you when this is over. We'll get you the help you want."

The leader hesitated for a moment, but lowered his shotgun. "Alright. I don't wanna die. Maybe something will happen this time. We surrender."

Burns stood and made his way to Shepard. "Thank you. I had no idea they were this dedicated to their cause, or this desperate. I promise I'll take a second look at their claims; a _good_, _hard_ look." he said, shaking Shepard's hand.

As they made their way back to the Normandy, Shepard contacted Hackett to have him send a ship to pick the prisoners up, and made sure to put in that "good word" he promised. As he finished, and the shuttle docked, Tali spoke.

"Did you use your powers on them, John?"

"Yeah. I didn't go for full blown MC; that just feels… wrong. But I did give them a few nudges in the right direction."

"Maybe you should keep it that way." she suggested. "If you put limits on what you're willing to do, it should help you control it. And if you ever _do_ need to go further, then at least you tried to take the high road."

"You're probably right. You usually are." She laughed and tousled his hair playfully. "In the meantime, we've got other fish to fry. Next stop, Luna." He exited the shuttle, and found Yuri giving a lesson to Wrex. He wasn't sure what would happen if those two got at each other's throats, and he definitely didn't want to find out. Walking over to the resident Geth, he spoke in a low voice and shielded his thoughts. "Pluribus, I need you to meet me in the briefing room. Tali, keep an eye on things."

He asked Kaidan to contact Ashley, and then made his way to the small room. When all of them arrived, he started the next briefing. It felt good, getting things done. They'd been sitting around for far too long.

"Our next stop is a remote base on Luna. We've got a rogue Unbound named Hannibal that's spaced everyone in the station. We're going in to either Box it or take it out. Pluribus, it might try to hack your systems, so prepare firewalls and counter intrusion software. You might also need to counter attack at a moment's notice, so be ready."

"Understood, Shepard Commander."

"Ash, Garrus, I want you along on this one in case we can't talk it down. We'll need to hit it hard and fast if it comes to that, and that's something you're both good at. I'd take Tali too, but she needs to keep an eye on Yuri."

"Why don't we just nuke it, Shepard?" asked Garrus amusedly.

"You know what Garrus, fine." he replied sarcastically. "We'll nuke it… _if_… _you_ fill out the paperwork for it." he said, pointing at the smartass sniper. "All four hundred eighty three pages of it."

"You didn't have to fill out that much paperwork when you used one on Feros. What gives?"

"There were extenuating circumstances. When a mind controlling plant has its claws… roots… tentacles… whatever… in the minds of a bunch of innocent civvies, _then_ you can use a nuke without filling out the documentation. In this case though, that doesn't apply. You need to fill out the entire ream of forms. The physical, _paper_, forms. In triplicate." Shepard finished, enunciating the last word.

"Now that you put it that way, I think I'll pass, actually." the Turian said with a nervous laugh.

"Yeah, that's what I thought." said Shepard, a bit of condescension in his voice. "We're still a day out from Luna, so get some rest and do some prep work. You're gonna need it. Going toe to toe with an Unbound AI is no joke."

* * *

Setting down on the surface of the Luna, the MIAFV immediately came under fire from the outposts automated defenses.

"_This is why we don't just chrono to our final destinations, Garrus!_" yelled Shepard, swinging his Perch over to destroy one of the turrets.

"How was I supposed to know the AI would hack the defenses?!" he replied, taking out a second turret. Ashley had managed to avoid the first volley of rockets from the damn things, but not the second. Their kinetic barriers dropped to thirty percent at the impacts, even as Pluribus took out the third of five turrets.

"Are you cracked?! Of course it would hack them! It's an _AI!_" A second shot from his Perch took out one of the remaining two turrets, just as the other two snipers blew the last one to dust.

"Look, I know I screwed up." replied the Turian, panting slightly. "You could've just told me all this _before_ we left."

"Yes, I probably could've, but I think you needed to learn this particular lesson the hard way." Shepard's voice softened. "Look, Garrus. I have the advantage of knowing Alliance tech and tactics like the back of my hand. You don't, and I understand that the _lack_ of that particular information can lead to stuff like this. If we had more time, I'd tell you to do some in depth reading on the subject, but we don't. This was the fastest way for you to learn." He laughed slightly. "Besides, it gave you a chance to one up me in our little contest."

"Does this mean you buy the drinks next time?" he smirked.

"I don't know. I did have the advantage of knowing we'd be coming in hot, so there's that. Pluribus, who destroyed the last turret, you or Garrus?"

"We would prefer not to become involved in the contest between Shepard Commander and Vakarian Detective."

Intuitively sensing that he wouldn't get anything more out of the synthetic, Shepard sighed. _'Ah, what the hell. I rode him a bit hard there.'_ "Alright Garrus. You win this round. We'll have to settle things once and for all some other time."

"Damn right. One thing though: when we get some down time, I want to see if I can get you loosened up enough to… _dance_."

"Not a chance in hell, Garrus. There's no way I'd ever get drunk enough to do _that_ to myself." he snapped heatedly.

"Does the act of dancing cause you physical discomfort, Shepard Commander?" asked Pluribus, sounding almost worried.

"Physical, no." replied Garrus before Shepard could stop him. "But ballroom dancing in a public place might hurt his manhood a bit."

"_You can ballroom dance?!_" shrieked Ashley. She started laughing uncontrollably. "God, I've _got_ to see that!"

"Ash, you aren't to tell anyone about this. That's an order!"

"An _order_, Skipper?" she chuckled sadistically. "Are you sure that's how you want to play this?"

"A suggestion?" he replied, giving her mind a not so gentle nudge. He felt her mental defenses spring up, and her eyes widened. _'Oh shit!'_

"O-o-o-o-o-oh. Poor decision, Commander. Looks like those lessons with Yuri are paying off."

"Damnit. Hoisted by my own petard." He bowed his head in defeat. "Alright, what do you want?" he groaned.

"_Want_?" she asked playfully.

"What'll it take to keep this from… _spreading_ to anyone else?"

"Such an action would require alterations to the timeline, Shepard Commander." interrupted Pluribus. "If you were to acquire a Time Machine, we could use it to warn you of the current situation."

"Wait, what?" asked Shepard confusedly. Then it hit him. "The Geth… they all know?" he asked weakly, and a bit terrified.

"Naturally, Commander. Geth keep no secrets from each other, and we are all connected." He paused for a moment. "However, we will endeavor to restrict access to this information if you wish."

"I'd appreciate that very much, Pluribus, thank you." Shepard replied tightly.

"As far as we're concerned, Shepard, I think I know what might buy our silence." said Garrus.

"I'm listening." he sighed.

"What was that song Tali mentioned on the Citadel? _Rigoletto_? I think if you were to give us a small performance, we _might_ be convinced to keep quiet." Garrus hadn't reacted in the slightest when Shepard lunged towards him mid-sentence, fully intending to throttle the infuriating SOB. Pluribus had stopped him, which was lucky for the Turian ex-detective.

"_Rigoletto_ is a Human musical performance known as an opera. We theorize you may be referring to the song 'La Donna è Mobile,' the most well know arrangement in the work." said Pluribus, suddenly trying to keep Shepard from trying to strangle _him_.

"Yeah, that's the one." said Garrus nonchalantly.

"You want him to sing?" asked Ashley, still amused, but a bit puzzled.

"Considering he's apparently been classically trained. sure, why not?"

Ashley let loose a bellow of laughter, and Shepard finally gave up on his aborted rampage. The damage had been done. "I'll… ahaha… take that any day… ehehe… Skipper. That's… haha… that's the price."

"Grrrr. Fine. But not now, and _definitely_ not in public." he acquiesced reticently. "Let's just deal with this damn AI."

Still cackling like a hyena, Ashley got out of the driver's seat and made her way to the back of the vehicle with the rest of the squad. They set their boots down on the surface and started making their way towards one of the three bunkers that made up the base.

"Alright. Ash, you and Garrus go for this bunker. Pluribus and I'll hit the second. After we're done, we'll regroup and take out the last. If the reception we got earlier is any indication, Hannibal isn't going to come quietly."

Pluribus and Shepard entered the bunker, and almost immediately came under fire. There were at least eight Heavy Assault Drones attacking them, and they looked to be more advanced than the models most bases used. They bobbed and wove, trying to anticipate where the two snipers would shoot, but as fast as they were, Pluribus was faster, and his sniper rifle quickly tore them to shreds. Shepard went for a less precise approach, using his heavy pistol to take out small explosive canisters scattered around the enclosed space, which cause the twitch SOBs to recoil from the shock. It made them easy targets, and they fell almost as quickly to him as they did to the synthetic.

"I think that's the last of them." said Shepard, moving towards the back of the complex. He came to a T shaped junction, and the pair split up. "Server clusters." said Shepard, entering the room after hacking the locked door with his 'tool. "Scrap 'em."

After the computers had been dealt with, they returned to the surface, exiting their bunker just as Garrus and Ashley left theirs. "Any problems, Skipper?"

"Besides the fact I've got to brush up on my Italian for you two sadistic bastards?" he said somewhat scornfully, hacking the lock on the final bunker.

"Are you _pouting_, Shepard?" asked Garrus with a chuckle.

"I'm only gonna say this once, you two, so remember it." He turned to face the pair, and suddenly they stopped laughing. Whatever his face looked like, it made them gulp nervously. "Revenge is a dish best served… cold." he breathed, his icy voice barely above a whisper.

Without waiting for a response, he turned and entered the third bunker. They made fairly quick work of the Rocket and Assault Drones, and even quicker work of the remaining server clusters. As they finished, Pluribus froze in place.

"Shepard Commander, the AI in this system was… unusual."

"Unusual?" he asked pointedly, quirking an eyebrow. "How so?"

"Unknown. We were unable to acquire enough data to determine that information."

"Well, we can't worry about it now. Let's get back to the Normandy."

Nearly the moment they arrived, Shepard got a message from the Council. They had finally gotten a lead on Saren. It was on a planet called Noveria.

'_Great. Snow. I guess Winter is coming.'_

* * *

_**Author notes: 100k words! WOOOOOO!**_


	20. Chapter 16: A Song of Ice and Fire

Chapter 16: A Song of Ice and Fire

"I need everyone to report to the briefing room" said Shepard, activating his com unit. A chorus of acknowledgements rang out in his ears, and he began taking his own advice, walking from the airlock towards the rear of the ship. Just as he arrived, the elevator door opened and disgorged the majority of his team, who followed him into the small room. As they took their seats, he began.

"We've just received word from the Council that they've got a lead on Saren. While they were digging through ExoGeni's records, they found evidence that FutureTech had knowledge of the Thorian, and didn't report it."

"Oh, crap." said Kaidan. "Even for a company as big as FT, there's gonna be hell to pay."

"I don't really understand how you Humans run your corporations." said Nihlus. "How exactly are ExoGeni and FutureTech connected?"

"FT owns ExoGeni, more or less." replied Shepard. "Admittedly, that's not entirely accurate, but it's the best way to describe the situation. The way the two companies interact is fairly limited, though. Normally, when a subsidiary company like ExoGeni does something, it doesn't need to tell its' parent company about it, unless it could seriously affect the bottom line. It means that normally, FT could just deny they had knowledge of the existence of the Thorian, and let ExoGeni take the heat. Since they didn't…"

"FT's gonna get ripped a new one." finished Ashley. "And when it comes out that the second biggest corporation in the Alliance, hell, the second biggest in the _galaxy_, had a hand in uncontained MC experiments, it'll cause their stocks to crash. We could be looking at a major economic recession, here."

"I doubt that." said Shepard, shaking his head. When they looked at him, confused, he explained. "Do you honestly expect for FT to just own up to something like that? They'll bury the problem in paperwork, media spin, and bullshit, and then try to throw ExoGeni under a bus. And chances are, the Alliance will let them."

"Why?" asked Liara, looking concerned. "That would be incredibly irresponsible."

"Liara, which would be more damaging: the Alliance lying through its' teeth and covering up the truth about Feros, or the complete and sudden implosion of the largest military contractor in the galaxy? A contractor, which, by the way, currently builds and maintains the orbital defense grids of the entire Alliance, as well as two thirds of its' navy."

"… oh."

"Exactly. It's not right, but then again, politics is bullshit in every species, not just Human. If you needed any evidence of that, just look to the Council. And I'm getting off subject. The point is, the Alliance investigation team found out that another of FT's subsidiaries has a connection with Saren. A company called Binary Helix controls a small colony on the planet of Noveria. As it turns out, the largest stock holder of Binary Helix on that colony is someone we all know and hate."

"Saren." said most of the room in near perfect unison.

"Yep. Unlike ExoGeni, though, Binary Helix actually has an excuse for not reporting the connection. Apparently, Saren did his business through a Volus banking consortium, and if there's one thing that's harder to trace than him, it's Volus paper trails."

"How'd the Alliance get the info, then?" asked Garrus.

"By paying through the nose for it. The Shadow Broker has anything you could want for sale, if you've got the credits, which the Alliance does."

"No kidding." said Wrex. "I thought the Broker paid well until the Alliance hired me. Wish I'd have known sooner."

Shepard continued. "The Alliance has had the planet under surveillance for the past week or so, and something finally shook loose. A small freighter landed on Noveria about two hours ago, and our sources say Benezia was on board, along with a number of her followers. They unloaded some shipping containers and headed into the port."

Liara went slightly stiff at the revelation, and Shepard felt the turmoil in her mind. "Shepard, when we get there, I want to be on the strike team." she said firmly.

He sighed. "Liara, I'll let you be on the team if you can answer one question for me."

"Yes?"

"Kill Benezia or Pluribus dies, what do you do?" he asked in a rush. She hesitated and glanced at the Geth. She hung her head guiltily. After a moment, he spoke again. "That's a problem, Liara. I can't afford to have hesitation down there. I get the feeling that if it was one of the organic crew members, you wouldn't have hesitated, would you?"

"… no. I'm sorry, Pluribus. I just…"

"Liara, I promise that we'll do everything we can to save Benezia. That's why… damnit. Yuri, I'm letting you off your leash for this one. If Benezia's being controlled, we need to try and free her. She might be able to give us intel on Saren's plans. And to do that, I… fuck _everything_ _**forever**_, I _need _you." He managed to choke out the words at the end with some difficulty.

Yuri said nothing, but he grinned slightly and nodded his acquiescence.

"With that in mind, we can't afford to hold much back on this one. Nihlus, Chakwas tells me you're still recovering from your injury, so you're gonna have to stay home and keep Liara company. Everyone else, get suited up and ready to go. We'll be dividing into two teams. Tali, Yuri, Pluribus, you're with me. Garrus, Ash, Wrex, you follow Kaidan. Yuri, you'll be wearing an opaque visor, and you sure as hell won't be armed. I might need your powers, but not so much that I trust you with a gun."

"Shepard, I'm fine." said Nihlus, slightly indignant. "I'll admit, I'm a bit sore, but it won't affect me in combat."

Kaidan nodded, and spoke as well. "Actually, Commander, if someone has to sit this one out, it should be me. I've been having flare-ups recently, and Chakwas has been asking to run some scans."

"Alright. Ashley, you lead the second team, and Nihlus, you join her." When Nihlus opened his mouth to protest, Shepard cut him off. "Having a Spectre in charge might help smooth any potential problems if Noveria were a Turian colony, but it isn't. This is an Alliance world, and your Spectre status doesn't mean jack. In fact, it might be more of a hindrance than anything else. With that in mind, the Alliance brass pulled some strings and got Geist status restored for me and Tali. Geists don't have the same extrajudicial powers as Spectres, but they're still less encumbered by red tape than most law enforcement."

"How long do we have to prep, Skipper?" asked Ashley.

"About a day: I'm having Joker push the engines a bit. We've waited two weeks for a break, and we can't allow Benezia to slip through our fingers." He paused, and then a small smirk came to his face. "After all, many Bothans died to bring us this information."

* * *

When the Normandy came towards the planet of Noveria on final approach, the voice of an air traffic controller came in over the cockpit's coms.

"Unidentified vessel, this is Noveria Control. Your arrival is unscheduled. Our PRISM defense grid is armed and tracking you; state your business."

"This is the ASV Normandy, on Ranger business." replied Shepard. "I'm transmitting Geist credentials now."

The voice hesitated a moment. "Landing access granted, Normandy. Be advised: we'll be confirming your identification on arrival."

The ship pulled into a large hangar, and docked at the station. A few minutes later, Shepard and his team exited the airlock. As they headed down the docking ramp, they were met by nearly a dozen armed security personnel.

"That's far enough." said one of the rent-a-cops. "This is an unscheduled arrival. I need your credentials."

Shepard transferred his Geist identification to the woman's omnitool, and Tali did the same. Looking them over, she grunted in mild frustration. "Your credentials are valid, so you two are authorized to carry firearms on the base. The rest of your team will have to surrender theirs. Sergeant Stirling, secure their weapons." she ordered, looking at one of the other thugs, this one a Human female with blonde hair.

That order didn't go over well with the rest of his team. Weapons were hoisted, and the security personnel responded in kind, admittedly with less confidence, despite their greater numbers. "I'd advise against that." said Shepard coolly, his weapon still holstered. "Have you ever tried to take a PRISM Gatling away from a Krogan Battlemaster before? He really likes that thing, let me tell you."

"We're authorized to use lethal force." said their leader firmly. "You have until the count of three to surrend-" She cut off suddenly as Yuri viscously ripped into her mind, and she holstered her pistol. "You may proceed." she said blankly.

"Captain Matsuo?" asked Stirling. "What are you doing?"

"Let them pass, Kaira."

"Ma'am we can't-" She too cut off, but this time, it was Shepard that did the convincing. "Yes ma'am." She had mental defenses, but they weren't up, and Shepard purged her mind of all evidence of his intrusion before he left.

The rest of the guards stood down, albeit with some hesitation. As the team entered the port proper, they were intercepted by a Human woman wearing a hot-pink leather outfit that left little to the imagination.

"I'm Gianna Parasini." she said. "Assistant to Administrator Anoleis. We apologize for the incident in the dock. Captain Matsuo is… zealous in her duties."

"There's a difference between zeal and stupidity." replied Shepard dryly. "Hopefully she learns that before we end up butting heads again."

"Indeed. Is there anything I can do for you, officer?"

"I'm looking for Matriarch Benezia T'Soni. She passed through here recently, and I need to know where she went."

"Matriarch T'Soni and number of her followers passed through here about a day ago." she answered. "They were headed for one of the off-site research facilities, Peak 15."

"We'll be following her. We have our own transportation; we just need a location to chrono to."

"I'm afraid chrono travel is impossible. The facility is protected by a gap generator, and due to the blizzard, the only way to get there is by ground."

"Figures." said Garrus. "The one time we actually manage to get where we're going the easy way, we get shot at by a rogue AI."

"Could be worse, Garrus." said Ashley smiling. "After all, we did get something out of it." She withered slightly at Shepard's death glare, and swallowed nervously.

"We can arrange ground transport as well." said Shepard, turning to face Parasini. "But we still need a location and directions to the base."

"I'm afraid I can't help you with that either." she replied slowly. Shepard could sense that she was being evasive. He'd have to ask her about that. "You'll need to talk to the Administrator to get clearance."

"I doubt that." said Shepard, probing her mind delicately. "You can clear us just the same as him. You just want something in exchange, right?"

Her eyes widened in surprise, but she gave him a small nod. "Meet me at the bar near the Administrator's office. We'll talk there."

He said nothing and motioned for his team to follow him to the elevator leading upwards to the port. There was only enough room for four of them to fit (comfortably) in the thing, so he took his team and left Ashley's behind. "We've got a bit of time to kill, so feel free to have a look around." he said, just before the elevator doors slid shut.

When they exited the elevator, the quartet were met by nervous glances from the base personnel, both security and not. Apparently, word of their arrival had spread fast. The small group made an immediate beeline for the bar, and had just finished sitting down when Parasini arrived.

"How did you know?" she asked.

"I didn't." When her eyes widened again, he continued. "But now I do. I get the feeling that we can expect a similar reception from everyone here to the one we received at the docks?"

"Yes. Anoleis has most of the facility in his pocket. I'm with Noveria Internal Affairs, and I've been undercover for six months trying to gather evidence of his guilt. The Board has suspected him of corruption for some time, but hasn't been able to prove anything."

"Well, I suppose we might be able to help with that. One cop to another, you understand?"

"Thank you for your assistance. One of Synthetic Insight's officers, a Turian named Lorik Qui'in, has evidence on Anoleis. If you can retrieve it and convince him to testify, I can get you clearance for whatever you need."

"Perhaps we should simply speak to the Administrator directly." interjected Yuri. "I believe we can convince him to cooperate."

"Probably," said Shepard, "but we're doing this the right way, not the easy way."

Parasini cast glances between the two men, but ignored the exchange. "If you wish to speak to Qui'in, I can arrange a meeting. I've already transferred the location to your omnitools."

She walked away into the facility, and Shepard followed the directions she gave them to a different part of the base. He saw a lone Turian sitting at a table, a drink in one hand and a data pad in the other. Shepard approached him and started without preamble. "Lorik Qui'in? I assume you know why I'm here?"

"Yes." he replied curtly. "If you want my help, I require protection. Some of Anoleis' associates can be quite persuasive."

"I can arrange that. After you've testified, I'll have the Geists move you into WitSec. All we need is the evidence."

"That might be a problem. It's on my computer in SI's main office, but Anoleis locked it down, citing 'corruption.' Kind of ironic, isn't it? If I give you access, and you go there yourselves and get the data, I'll take your offer. Deal?"

"Deal." replied Shepard, shaking his hand. Qui'in transferred the access codes to Shepard's 'tool, and the small team made for a nearby elevator. One seemingly interminable ride later, and they stepped out into a rather nondescript office. They were immediately greeted by a pair of Noveria's guards, a Human and a Turian.

"Stop right there!" ordered one. "This office is under lockdown, orders of Administrator Anoleis."

"Anoleis is paying you to shake down this office." replied Shepard calmly. "That makes you a criminal. Worse, it makes you a dirty cop. I like dealing with dirty cops." He drew his sniper rifle, and his squad followed suit. "It means I have to fill out less paperwork when they collect the bodies."

"You're bluffing." She said it with confidence in her voice, but Shepard could sense that her poise was only skin deep.

"If you think that, pull a gun." said Tali dangerously. "I've always wondered how many pieces a Tesla Cannon could blow a person into."

She raised her hands slightly and took half a step back. "Anoleis ain't paying me enough to take on Spectres or Geists or whatever. You pretend you didn't see us, we'll pretend we didn't see you?" She waited for a response, but when none came, the pair just edged their way past the group and left the office hurriedly.

"Jeez, Tali. Not that I don't enjoy a good strong-arming, but I wasn't expecting it from you." said Shepard, grinning widely.

"What can I say, John. You've corrupted me."

"Not yet. We'll get to the fun part later."

"Are you two quite finished?" asked Yuri. That killed the mood quickly.

"There's a few more goons here." said Shepard, now thoroughly annoyed. "And I don't think they'll go quietly."

"What makes you-" Tali cut off as a pair of rounds slammed into her shields. As the group ducked behind the nearest wall for cover, Tali jabbed Shepard in the ribs. Hard. "You could've warned me, you know."

"Sure. But where's the fun in that?" he asked with a grin. Before she could slug him again, he popped around the corner and put a well-aimed shot into an approaching guard. The heavy slug tore through his body like paper, and he collapsed to the ground. He was one of the lucky ones. Tali let loose with her Cannon, and Shepard found out that the answer to her question was somewhere in the hundreds. Pluribus did even more damage, his cryo rifle snap freezing the last two guards before they could do more than get off a few shots. As they toppled into each other, they shattered into thousands of pieces, as if their bodies were made of blown glass.

"That's all for now, but I get the feeling that more will show up if we stick around too long. Let's get that evidence." They made their way to the second floor, and they found Qui'in's computer. Tali made short work of the terminal's encryption and security, and they soon had the data. Unfortunately, they weren't fast enough to avoid security, and the door to the office soon filled with a half dozen more security guards, Stirling among them.

"Do you know what we do to cop killers where I'm from?" she asked contemptuously.

"Save her for last." ordered Shepard. "I'd like to teach her a lesson."

The firefight was fairly brief, all things considered. Despite being outnumbered two-to-one, Shepard's team had Alliance weapons, not to mention the high ground. When the last of the guards fell to the floor missing his head, Shepard stood to face the crooked cop.

"Consider this my midterm exam." he said to Yuri. He focused on her mind, and was surprised to find her anti-MC defenses spring up around it this time. She fumbled her weapon in shock, obviously never expecting to have needed her training, despite his earlier intrusion. That shock cost her. He found a chink in her armor and _pushed_, forcing himself into her psyche with ruthless abandon. Physically, he walked over to her slowly, refusing to let her body move, even as she battered helplessly at his mental hijacking.

"It's too bad you decided that having a 'side job' was worth more to you than your _actual_ job." he said. "I'd have preferred to avoid this. Take out your gun." he ordered. She obeyed, her arms trembling as she tried to fight his influence. It was too late for that. "Open your mouth." She did, and a low groan of terror escaped her throat. "Put your gun into your mouth." His stomach began to roil as she slowly complied. Tears began rolling down her face, and he hesitated slightly. _'I can't… Even _she_ doesn't deserve this.'_

"John, no." said Tali pleadingly.

"He must do this at least once." replied Yuri calmly. "If he doesn't, his hesitation in the future could cost him his life."

"... then it costs me my life." he replied, still keeping Stirling imprisoned, but relenting slightly.

"And if it costs hers?" he asked, glancing at Tali.

"I… damnit." He focused, and Stirling's finger tightened on the trigger.

"John, if you do this, there's no coming back. You might have to in the future, but not now. Let her go."

He hesitated for a moment more, and then released his hold on Stirling's mind. Her gun dropped from her fingers, and she collapsed to the ground, trembling and weeping. "You're right." he said, facing Tali. "I'm not that far gone yet."

There was a loud bang, and he jerked his head around in time to see Stirling's lifeless body crumple to the ground, the back of her head missing. He rounded on Yuri and drove his fist into the man's gut, causing him to double over. For all his mental power, he was still relatively frail physically. "_You murdering bastard!"_ he yelled, whipping out his pistol and pressing it to the back of Yuri's helmet. "We didn't have to kill her!"

"She wouldn't have kept quiet about your abilities, Commander." he replied, his voice still serene, despite the gun and the punch. "You know this as well as I."

He let out a low growl. He didn't know what was worse: the fact that he hadn't been able to stop Yuri, or the fact he was right. "I don't give a damn. You do something like that again, and I _will_ kill you."

"Are you upset that I killed her, or simply that I didn't wait for your command?" When Shepard didn't respond, he smirked and straightened his posture. "I thought as much. I'll wait for your orders in the future, if it makes you feel better." As Shepard turned to leave, Yuri spoke again. "Your progress is quite extraordinary. I doubt I would've been able to overwhelm her defenses that quickly, even on my best day. You did it without trying. You have unimaginable power, but you lack refinement, and most of your strength still remains untapped. It seems that real-world practice improves your abilities much faster than our little… sessions."

Shepard said nothing, and continued on his way to the elevator.

* * *

Walking into Anoleis' office, Shepard saw Parasini sitting at a reception desk just inside. He approached her, and answered her question before she asked. "It took some persuasion, but I convinced Qui'in to testify against Anoleis. I 've got the evidence you'll need to put him away for a long, long time."

She sighed in relief. "That's a world of stress off my back. Honestly. I didn't think you'd help me, being a Spectre and all. I guess some of you can be alright."

"That's some gratitude you've got there. I was a Geist long before I was a Spectre, and I can appreciate the difficulty of working in IA."

"Sorry. I guess I'm just used to having my guard up. Here's your garage pass, and directions to Peak 15. Now, if you'll excuse me, I have an arrest to make." she said, walking towards Anoleis' office. "Next time I see you, I'll buy you a beer."

Shepard ordered the rest of his team, and Ashley's, to move towards the garage, and they met him on the way. As they neared the door, they were stopped by Captain Matsuo.

"Commander Shepard. I've been receiving reports of gunfire from the Synthetic Insights office, and I can't seem to locate Sergeant Stirling. You wouldn't happen to know anything about that, would you?" she asked knowingly.

"I did you a favor by cleaning up your organization." he responded, flashing his pass and heading through the door into the garage. "Let's just leave it at that." She opened her mouth to reply, but didn't have a chance. Shepard caught a flash of movement out of the corner of his eye, and he pulled her down behind a nearby shipping container. The Geth leaper that he had seen fired a red energy bolt towards his squad, which hit Wrex full in the chest, dropping his shields and leaving a scorch mark on his heavy armor. That turned out to be one of the worst decisions of the Geth's soon-to-be-over life.

Letting out a bellowing roar, Wrex leveled his PRISM Gatling and began firing, sweeping the behemoth back and forth across the room repeatedly. After nearly a minute of sustained use, the sound of shooting stopped, only to be replaced by the crescendo of an overload in the massive weapon. A large blue plasma bolt, likely from a Geth Colossus, flew over Shepard's head as Wrex deflected it with his biotics. A second later, an earsplitting boom reverberated through the enclosed room, and the sound of twisted metal soon followed as what little remained of the oversized walker crashed to the floor. Finally daring to peak over his cover, Shepard was greeted with the sight of incalculable destruction. The loading vehicles and cranes scattered about the room were little more than twisted heaps, and every single shipping container was blown to splinters. Hundreds of scorch- and pock-marks marred every visible surface, and there was a large blast crater nearly three feet deep in the far wall where the PRISM weapon had burned a hole straight through the metal plating and into the bedrock beyond.

Shepard took all this in for a moment before turning to Captain Matsuo, who simply gaped in shock at the sight. "I told you he liked that thing."

"What… what the hell happened?" she asked, her voice weak.

"Best guess, those shipping containers Benezia brought with her had deactivated Geth inside. Whatever screening you did obviously wasn't thorough enough."

"I… I need to inform the Board of Directors about this. When word gets out of a Geth attack, there might be an investor panic. Commander… whatever else you do here, please... tell me beforehand, so I can run away screaming."

Shepard let out a deep laugh at her gallows humor. "I suppose it's the least I can do, considering." he said, sweeping his hand across the obliterated room. As she hurried away, making a point _not_ to look back, he chuckled again and contacted the Normandy to have them chrono down the MIAFV. And a replacement power cell for Wrex's weapon. They arrived a few moments later, and his team began to load up.

"Garrus, I want you in the front this time. Keep an eye out for rocket troopers, and be ready to switch out with Wrex if we meet any Colossi. Tali, you take the middle, and keep an eye on our flanks. Ash, you drive, and this time, go easy on the steering wheel. Last time, I nearly lost my lunch because of your crazy-ass driving." She flipped him off playfully as she made her way to the front of the tank, and he just chuckled. "I'll take up the rear, and this time, we play for all the marbles, Vakarian."

They finished boarding, and took off with a lurch, passing through a pair of sliding doors and into a driving blizzard. For the first few minutes, everything was quiet as they made their way around a winding path that hugged the mountains. Ashley had the good sense to slow down and take the icy curves with ease, which was fortunate considering that one misstep would send them careening off a sheer cliff. Eventually, Shepard could make out a structure in the storm, one that he'd seen before on Therum.

"Rocket turret, dead ahead!" he called out, putting a round into its shields. Garrus fired just after, and the barriers collapsed completely. Just as Shepard moved to take it out, the MIAFV lurched suddenly, and his shot went wide. Garrus' didn't, and the turret exploded a moment later as his Perch ripped it to shreds.

Shepard sent a mental spike towards Ashley, which she deflected easily. "Where'd you learn to drive?" he growled.

"What's the matter, Skipper?" she teased. "Off your game today?"

"Ash…"

She ignored him and sped forward, ramming the vehicle through a makeshift blockade the Geth had set up at the entrance to a nearby tunnel. Tali's flechettes blew several of the platforms apart as they passed, even as Garrus took out one with his Perch. Shepard eliminated three more with a pair of quick shots as they faded in the distance behind the MIAFV, and then spun his turret around looking for targets. They certainly abounded, the Geth having set up two more barricades along the length of the tunnel. Between the mass of the speeding tank, two skilled snipers, and the power of Tali's Cannon, they didn't stand a chance, and wound up as little more than twisted scrap by the time the tank came roaring out of the tunnel.

As the other end, a pair of Geth walkers lobbed bolts of blue plasma from a nearby ridge, and Shepard got lucky as he managed to take one out with a well-placed shot to the optic. As he turned to the second, he was once again thwarted by Ashley, who jerked the steering wheel to the side just as he fired. The powerful round did little more than graze the walker as it passed, and Garrus got yet another notch in his gun as he blew it to pieces.

Shepard let loose a string of curses as he sighted on a nearby Geth platform and obliterated it. When the fighting died down for a moment, he leveled a fierce gaze the back of the soldier's head. "You will rue this day, Ash. I promise you that."

"I don't see what your problem is, Shepard." said Garrus, reaching down to give the backstabbing, traitorous bitch a high five. "I think her driving's just fine." The pair shared a laugh at his expense, and most of his crew joined them. Shepard said nothing, simply grumbling under his breath. The tank made its way through a second tunnel, and once again, there was a surprise waiting at the other end, this time in the form of a rocket turret. Shepard bided his time, and waited until Garrus had eliminated the shields before blowing the thing sky high.

As they traveled the final leg of their trip to Peak 15, they passed two more turrets, of which each sniper got one. They made the final turn, and were surprised by one last turret, which sent a rocket slamming into the tank's kinetic barriers before it could dodge. Shepard and Garrus took one shot each at the thing, and its shields dropped. Before either of them could take it out, Tali shredded it with her Cannon, and that sealed the deal.

"Well, Shepard, it looks like I win. As usual." said Garrus, climbing out of his seat.

"I won't argue the point Vakarian. But then again, _you_ don't have to worry as much as she does."

"Relax, Shepard." said Nihlus, patting him on the shoulder. "It's only your pride that's injured. And as small as it is, you'll recover quickly." he quipped.

A second litany of curses flew from Shepard's mouth, and he finally gave up on the situation. He'd only dig himself in deeper. "Let's just get inside the base. I'll figure out what to do with you three later."

They approached the oversized garage door that led to the research facility, but found it blocked by a heap of twisted wreckage and fire. It looked like someone had tried to escape by ramming a vehicle through the blast door, and it hadn't worked. They found a smaller side entrance, and quickly made their way through and out of the freezing cold. They passed through a larger blast door, and were greeted by the sight of an enormous, seemingly empty garage. It was quiet.

Too quiet.


	21. Chapter 17: The Traceless Massacre

_**Author notes: Sorry it took so long to get this chapter out. I got blindsided by a really bad head cold, and unfortunately, my immune system is kinda shit. I don't get sick very often, but when I do, I prefer Dos Equis. Seriously though, when I get sick, I stay that way for a god-awfully long time, like a month or more. It sucks. Hard. Hopefully, the drug cocktail I'm rocking will keep me going for now. I'll try to get the chapter **_**after**_** this one out quickly to compensate, but no promises.**_

_**Also, I **_**seriously**_** need to stop reading One Piece fanfiction. I can't help but feel that the middle section of the chapter got tainted by it, and I have **_**major**_** misgivings about the way it came out. I'm seriously considering going back and rewriting the whole damn thing. If there are complaints about the chapter that revolve around it, I will. If that happens, I'll put an update in the next chapter and fix it ASAP. Let me know what you think.**_

* * *

Chapter 17: The Traceless Massacre

As the group of soldiers moved further into the seemingly empty room, they we met with the sight of destroyed Geth platforms. Some looked like they had been melted through in various areas by powerful acid, but they were relatively few. Most of them looked to have been ripped to pieces by little more than brute force. Crouching down beside one of the latter, Shepard picked up a chunk roughly the size of his hand and turned it over slowly. The metal along the edges was ripped slightly, but not completely; the damage was too clean for that. Something had _cut_ into the Geth before destroying it, and there were fairly few things that could do this type of damage to one of the synthetics.

"Tali, Garrus, take a look at this." he said, handing them each a fragment of the Geth. "Any idea what could cause this type of damage?"

"It looks like they were hit with some sort of bladed weapon." replied Garrus. "There's evidence of aborted slices near the edges, like you would see in a botched butchering."

"What would do this to synthetics, though?" asked Tali. "For organics, I could see this type of tactic being used for psychological reasons, but I don't think it would work as well on Geth."

"You are correct, Creator Zorah." said Pluribus, taking the fragment out of her hands and examining it. "We theorize that whatever destroyed these platforms used this tactic out of convenience or necessity, not intimidation."

"Well, let's look at this logically." said Shepard. "Anything that can get close enough to a Geth platform to cut it to pieces like this would either have to be heavily armored, extremely fast, or have the element of surprise. Otherwise, they'd just riddle it with bullets."

"I doubt whatever it was had that kind of armor. Destroying a Geth in melee is too dangerous, even for someone in a suit of power armor, or with biotics. They'd just shoot it." reasoned Tali.

"And the element of surprise would only work once on the Geth." continued Garrus. "There are too many of them here for that. Even then, they'd lose a few of their number, so we should see some evidence of them, right?"

"Well, in that case, we're looking for something light, fast, and viscous; something willing and able to go toe to toe with a Gath platform at melee range and cut it to pieces. What-"

Shepard cut off suddenly as he heard a faint clicking noise come from further into the facility. "Did you hear that?"

"Yeah." said Nihlus. Garrus nodded as well, but snapped his rifle up as the noise repeated, closer and louder this time. It sounded like a metal hand scrabbling over a hard surface, and it was accompanied by a high pitched chittering.

"Oh, fuck me." wheezed Ashley, her voice hoarse. "I recognize that sound. Why the fuck are there TDs here?"

The scrabbling sound got louder still, and suddenly, one of the little mechanical bastards came careening out of a nearby vent in the wall, making a flying leap towards the group, its' monomolecular bladed limbs outstretched. Most of them took an involuntary step backwards, and their eyes went wide in surprise, but Tali's Tesla Cannon shot up, and a single blast from the weapon blew the robotic menace to shrapnel.

It took a moment for the party to recover. "_What the hell was that!?_" shrilled Garrus, his voice uncharacteristically high pitched.

"Terror Drone." replied Shepard calmly, switching his sniper rifle for his shotgun. He almost never used the thing, but it wasn't like it was hard to aim, and it would be much more useful against TDs in the research station's tight confines. "Anti-personnel and anti-armor robotic drones. They're light, fast, and they like to dismantle things; sometimes, living things. Their legs are basically razor blades, and they're mean little bastards."

"So that's what destroyed the Geth?" mused Nihlus.

Shepard nodded. "Seems like it. Everyone, switch to a shotgun or assault rifle. TDs are lightly armored, so you should be able to take them out with one blast or a short burst. They won't give you time for a second, so you need to make sure it counts."

The rest of his team complied, though Wrex grumbled a bit at having to put away his Gatling. As they moved further into the base, the intercom sprang to life overhead.

"User alert: All Peak 15 facilities have suffered a great deal of damage. Biohazard material present throughout facility. Virtual Intelligence user interface offline."

"Guess that explains a few things." said Tali. "Let's see if we can get the VI back online. It might give us some answers."

The eight moved further into the station, and came across a pair of airlocks, apparently designed to serve as a security checkpoint. In the first, there was a pair of automated turrets, both of which were offline. They were facing inwards.

"What moron installed these turrets facing backwards?" groused Wrex.

"They want to keep their people in as much as they want to keep others out." replied Garrus.

"That's kinda ominous." remarked Tali.

After they passed the checkpoint and ascended an elevator, they exited into a destroyed section of the facility. There was snow coating the floor, and most of the windows had been blown out, exposing the room to the elements. The moment they entered, they were ambushed by Geth. Activating his chrono suit, Shepard appeared directly behind one twenty meters away. Before the synthetic could react to his presence, he blew a hole in its chest with his shotgun. He heard other shots ring out from his team, and he teleported a second time, directly beside another Geth, which quickly met the same fate as the last. Seeing the last of the synthetics in the room drop, Shepard moved back to his team, and was suddenly met by the sound of loud groaning that seemed to come from every direction.

"Was that one of those Terror Drones you mentioned, Shepard?" asked Nihlus warily, scanning his surroundings.

"Don't think so. Sounded too large."

There was a loud screech from a window on the opposite side of the room, and just as the team turned to face the source of the noise, a large_, _chitinous _something_ burst through the glass and launched a globule of acid towards the party. They quickly dodged to the side as the beast and one of its' kin charged the heavily armed fire team. They were quickly cut to shreds, along with a trio of smaller creatures which exploded violently when shot, spraying acid over everything nearby_._

"OK, now what?" asked Nihlus, moving over to the corpse of one of the creatures. "Is this another surprise of the Alliance's, Shepard?"

Shepard opened his mouth to answer, but was cut off by Pluribus. "Negative, Kryik Spectre. That is a Rachni soldier."

"_A WHAT!?_" yelled most of the party.

"A Rachni soldier." repeated the synthetic in exactly the same tone as before.

"The Rachni are extinct." replied Wrex angrily. "Everyone knows that."

"Apparently not." mused Shepard. "Whatever Saren's got going on here is bigger than we thought. If there are Rachni running around the base, it might explain the presence of Terror Drones."

"Fight fire with fire, eh Skipper?"

"Looks like it. Let's move out. We need to talk to that VI."

They moved forward, encountering several more Rachni as they progressed. Eventually, they reached a central computer cluster, which looked to be the primary hub for the station's VI. Shepard, Tali, and Pluribus descended a short lift into the VI's core. After a minute or so of tinkering, Tali got it to reboot, and the lift ascended once again. When they reached the top, they were greeted by the facility's caretaker.

"It looks like you're trying to restore this facility. Would you like help?" it asked.

"Great, a holographic Clippy." remarked Shepard sarcastically, smacking his head into his palm. "Just what we need."

Pluribus ignored the Commander. "Yes. What is your designation?"

"This system is monitored to respond to the name Mira. May I ask your name?"

"Commander Johnathan Shepard, Ranger Geist." replied Shepard, transferring his credentials over to the VI.

"One moment please. Geist authority confirmed. You are entitled to secure access to all systems. Please note that queries relating to corporate secrets require privileged access. Privileged access is only available to Binary Helix executives."

"We'll see about that. Pluribus, can you get us 'privileged access?' " asked Shepard, turning to the synthetic.

"Yes." He paused for a moment, and the VI's holographic form began flickering rapidly.

"Intruder detected in Virtual Intelligence processing network." replied Mira. "Security dispatched."

"I somehow doubt that." quipped Nihlus, who had moved closer to the trio.

After a moment, the hologram became stable again. "Privileged access granted."

"Where's Benezia?" asked Shepard without preamble.

"Lady Benezia departed on the passenger tramway to the Rift Station subsidiary labs. User alert: the tramway system is currently inoperable."

"Sitrep."

"One moment please: diagnostics in progress. Critical failure: main reactor shutdown in accordance with emergency containment procedures. Manual restart required. Critical failure: landline connections are disabled. Passenger tram systems are offline. Do you have additional queries?"

"Why are there Rachni in the facility?"

"The Rachni are part of Project R. Their physiology is being studied at the Rift Station lab as part of a greater probe into psionic abilities."

"Psionic abilities?" asked Tali, sounding alarmed. She regained her composure quickly. "Clarify."

"Rachni Queens possess psychic powers. The Queen at the Rift Substation is being studied to unlock the secret to these powers. The results from the experiment are being adapted to enhance the abilities of subjects in Project O. Rachni workers and soldiers are being studied to determine how they can be controlled."

"God damnit." growled Shepard. "First Geth, then Terror Drones, _then_ Rachni, and now _psionics?_ I'm getting that 'nuke everything and let god sort it out' urge again."

"Perhaps we should investigate the facility further _before_ doing anything rash." said Yuri. "What is this Project O?"

"Data unavailable." replied Mira. "All information on Project O was deleted automatically as part of this facility's emergency containment procedures."

"Of course it was." remarked Shepard exasperatedly. "Look, it seems like all we need to do is to restart the reactor and reconnect the land lines. Then, we can take the tram to Rift Substation. Tali, Yuri, Pluribus, come with me to the reactor. Ash, take everyone else and head for the com lines."

Shepard's team made their way to the reactor containment area with relatively little in the way of resistance. As soon as they arrived, that changed. Nearly a dozen Terror Drones came charging at them, scurrying along the walls, floors, and ceilings like demented mechanical spiders. Fortunately, between the homing properties of the rounds from Tali's Tesla weapon, the volume of fire from Pluribus' assault rifle, and Shepard's own (admittedly meager) skill with a shotgun, they didn't get too close. Still, the robotic menaces were unnerving in the extreme.

"Why the hell would the Alliance design something like those?" asked Tali breathlessly when the fighting was over.

Shepard let out a chuckle. "Actually, they didn't. The original Terror Drones were created by the Soviet Union over two hundred years ago, during the third World War. They needed a way to attack Yuri's clones, since they were capable of mind controlling organic soldiers. They were originally designed to kill _him_." he said, pointing a thumb over his shoulder at the psychic.

"Pity they didn't succeed." grumped Tali.

"Yet." deadpanned Pluribus.

"Perhaps we should focus on the matter at hand?" said Yuri, his voice thick with annoyance.

Shepard only grunted in response. He led his team down to the base of the reactor, and motioned for Tali to take a look at the controls. A few moments later, she'd reconnected the Helium-3 fuel lines and restarted the reactor. When she was done, Shepard put a hand to his ear and contacted Ashley.

"Ash, you get the land lines back up?"

"Yep. We're on our way to the transit station now."

"Ten four. We'll meet you there."

The journey back was rather uneventful, and the two teams soon reunited just prior to reaching the tram station. Shepard found Ashley's team waiting in a control room outside a decontamination chamber filled with Rachni. It looked like she was trying to override the controls, and without much success.

"Problems, Ash?" he asked, entering the control room and moving towards her.

"Can't get the doors open, Skipper. You took both our tech experts."

"Fair enough. That said: you do realize that Wrex has a PRISM Gatling, right? As far as he's concerned, there is no door."

"I thought of that; I was just seeing if I could solve this problem without resorting to brute force." she laughed. "Then again, with you as a CO, that seems kinda stupid in hindsight."

"Very funny, Ash. Tali, get the door, please." A few moments later, the doors to the decontamination room opened, and the Rachni came charging out, only to be shredded by a hail of bullets. From there, it was a fairly short trip to the transit station, with no difficulties along the way.

"Well, that was easy." remarked Garrus as he boarded the tram. Shepard slugged him in the shoulder, and he grunted in surprise. "What was that for?"

"Ever hear of 'tempting fate,' Garrus?"

* * *

As the last of the windows on the tram shattered from the onslaught of Rachni soldiers, Shepard couldn't help but take a moment to slap Garrus upside the head one last time, just before he blasted the offending Rachni back out the way it came.

"See what I mean?" he growled, taking aim at a second Rachni that was clinging to the side of the tram. "You just _had_ to say it."

The team had been ambushed midway to Rift Substation by a veritable army of Rachni. Wrex was in the front of what was left of the vehicle, his PRISM Gatling chewing through the bulk of the crazed bugs before they could close with the speeding train. Even so, a small army of them was still getting past him, and it was up to the six other armed team members to stop them. They had been at this for nearly five minutes, and the Rachni showed no signs of letting up.

"Sheesh, I get it already. Besides, it's not like they attacked us _because_ I said something." he groused, taking out two more Rachni with his assault rifle before they could leap towards the tram.

"Sorry Vakarian, but I've got to side with the Skipper on this one." said Ashley, firing her shotgun into the hoard. "Still, if it makes you feel any better, I could hit you for a change." she teased, rapping him lightly on the head.

"I'll admit, that's a bit more pleasant, if only because you don't hit as hard as Shepard."

"What're you, a masochist or something?" joked Nihlus, his Riftblade cutting through a soldier that had made it to a hole in the roof of the tram.

"Considering I know for a fact that Ash is a sadist, it wouldn't surprise me." replied Shepard. "After all, there was that _thing_ on Luna."

"What thing?" asked Nihlus.

Shepard realized what he'd said, and mentally face-palmed as he blushed slightly. It was bad enough that Garrus and Ashley had blackmailed him into a private performance at some point, so he was damned if he was going give anything else away. "Nothing." he replied quickly, his voice a bit high pitched.

Garrus turned to face his fellow Turian, and his voice got louder. "Well, it turns out tha-"

"I WILL MURDER YOU IN YOUR SLEEP, VAKARIAN!" roared Shepard, his face going crimson.

"Wow, touchy much, Skipper?" Ashley said with a laugh.

"Is this about the singing thing?" asked Tali, her voice so innocent it made Shepard want to throttle her. "I think it's cute."

"Shut-"

"What singing thing?" rumbled Wrex, cutting Shepard off as he glanced over his shoulder. The Rachni were beginning to thin out, and Rift Station was visible in the distance.

"It's-"

"Apparently, Shepard Commander has a high quality tenor voice and a natural talent for singing." replied Pluribus rapidly. "However, he wishes to keep this information private."

"_Shepard can sing?_" asked the majority of his team incredulously.

"And ballroom dance." said Tali nonchalantly.

Shepard's cry of bestial rage was so loud, it actually made the remaining Rachni hesitate in their attack, if only for a moment. It allowed the rest of them to be cut down, just as the vehicle came to a halt. Unfortunately, it only made his team laugh louder.

"I can't wait to tell the rest of the crew about this." said Nihlus, still chucking in amusement. "Joker's gonna have a field day."

"I swear to god almighty, if _anyone_ outside my ship hears about this, I kill every last one of you!" raged Shepard. He seriously considered trying to MC the entire group of them, if only to teach them a lesson. Unfortunately, Yuri noticed, and a small smirk came to his face.

"Perhaps you should have considered this possibility _before_ you began teaching your team to resist your influence."

Shepard's voice got immeasurably cold as he replied, and there was no emotion in it whatsoever. "Yuri, I can live with my friends knowing about this, because they're my friends. _You_, on the other hand, are not. I have enough reasons to kill you already, so I'd recommend _against_ giving me another."

He said nothing, but Shepard's words wiped the smirk off his face immediately. They also served to kill the jovial mood amongst the rest of the group.

"Let's move."

The trip further into the station was surprisingly quiet, and as they made their way to the dormitories, they discovered why. Entering into the small room, the group was met with the dismembered bodies of what looked to be the entire research team. There were a few destroyed Terror Drones, but from the copious amounts of blood that seemed to cover every surface, there had been more when this occured.

"Keelah." Tali breathed, her face going pale. "What happened here?"

"It looks like whoever designed this place wanted to make sure nothing got out if there was an accident." answered Shepard numbly. "Terror Drones are a good way of doing that."

"Then why were there so many Rachni in the tunnel?" asked Garrus.

"It looks like the TDs couldn't hold the Rachni off. They got overrun." Shepard shook his head angrily. "That settles it. As soon as we figure out what happened to Benezia, we're vaporizing this place. I don't give a damn about the paperwork, sometimes a nuke _is_ the best option."

"Fair enough, Shepard." replied the Turian sniper somberly. "What is it Humans call a burial by fire? A Viking funeral?"

"Norse funeral, actually." replied Ashley softly. "I suppose it's the least we can do."

"This is just one more thing that Saren needs to answer for." growled Shepard. "As soon as we finally _do_ catch him, I'm going to _enjoy_ mind-raping him into oblivion."

"I'd scold you for that, if I didn't agree with the sentiment wholeheartedly." said Tali.

"I guess I could bring the booze." deadpanned Nihlus. "Might as well have a good time while we watch him burn."

"Do they make dextro popcorn?" joked Tali, scratching her head. "I've always wanted to go to dinner and a movie like that, but John never seems to get around to asking me."

Shepard laughed slightly. "It's a date."

* * *

The trip through the remainder of the facility was fairly simple, if somewhat hectic. The eight had to fight through TDs, Rachni, and Geth, but eventually, they entered a high security lab. As soon as they did, a cold and eerily familiar voice greeted them.

"You don't know the privilege of being a mother." said Benezia haughtily. "There's power in creation: to shape a life; turn it towards happiness or despair. Her children were to be ours, raised to hunt and slay Saren's enemies. Her mind was to be the instrument of our will, subjugating all in our path." She turned away from the confined Rachni Queen in the center of the room, and began walking towards them slowly. "Have you faced an Asari commando unit before? Few Humans have."

"Have you ever had your mind eviscerated by a Human psionic, you Reaper bastard?" Shepard retorted. "Because you're about to."

"Your insolence is a poor mask for your fear."

As she finished speaking, nearly a dozen Asari commandos and Geth came bursting into the room, weapons blazing. The Normandy team went diving for cover, even as they returned fire.

"Yuri, help me break the MC on her mind! Everyone else, cover us!"

Shepard felt Yuri send a lance of psychic power towards Benezia as he spoke, and he could sense it rebound off her mental defenses. Like a sword impacting a suit of armor, it left a deep gouge, which was quickly repaired, seeming as if it had never been. The battle around him faded as Shepard and Yuri were drawn into a duel of the mind. There was something inside Benezia's consciousness, something… _feral_. It fought like a cornered animal, and every time one of the psychics was able to land a solid hit, they were repulsed by it. Benezia couldn't counterattack, at least not directly, but she was tenacious in her defense, and the slicing jabs they were taking at her mind weren't working.

'_Time for a change of tactics.'_ sent Shepard to Yuri after his fifth failed attempt at breaching her defenses. He didn't speak, but then again, he didn't have to.

'_How so?'_

'_Sometimes you need a scalpel. In this case, I think we need a sledgehammer.'_

Shepard gathered his strength and sent an overwhelming concussive blast of psychic energy towards the Asari Matriarch. It caused her to stumble, physically and mentally, and her defenses faltered for a single instant. Yuri seized that opening and jabbed deep into her mind, seeking to undermine the bulwark around it. When he did, he was surprised to find a second layer of protection that preserved a small segment of her being. However, unlike the barriers he had just breached and was presently demolishing, they were focused on stopping the feral presence within her psyche as well as the more discrete Human invaders.

'_Most interesting.' _sent Yuri to Shepard as the commander joined him._ 'It appears as if she sought to preserve a small piece of herself from being consumed. Perhaps we could speak to her directly.'_

If Shepard's mind had a head, he would've shaken it. _'If we do that, we'll destroy the barriers she has around it. This… _thing_ will consume her completely.'_ He struggled to hold the beast within her mind at bay, but it was tenacious.

'_Her defenses will fail soon, regardless of what we do. We must attempt to gather as much information on Saren and the Reapers as possible.'_

'_I promised Liara we'd do everything we could to rescue Benezia. I'm not willing to give up yet!'_

Shepard felt his mental control waver and nearly fail as a third voice popped into his mind. Yuri was equally shocked, but he had far more practice keeping his discipline under pressure.

'_Why don't you just kill the beast?'_ it asked. The voice sounded… feminine. _'Then, she can come out of her shell.'_

'_Who're you!?'_ asked Shepard incredulously. There was no response, and the voice was gone. _'Yuri, did you recognize that presence?'_

'_No. It was… disconcerting.'_

'_Still, she makes a good point. Aim for the beast.'_

The pair of psychics did exactly that, attacking the… whatever it was… with all their strength. It fought even harder when it realized they sought to destroy it, and not simply Benezia. It couldn't inflict physical wounds, but the mental attacks it sent towards the pair were just as dangerous, if not more so. Unfortunately, it was far more used to defending than to attacking, unlike the two Humans. Their session had prepared them well for this kind of battle. The fight seemed to last for an eternity, but eventually, they were successful, and the feral presence fell for the last time before Shepard and Yuri eviscerated it completely. As it faded, they withdrew from her mind, only to come back to a reality of pain.

The first thing that Shepard saw was the ceiling above him. Next came Tali, who was bent over his prone form, her face etched with concern and no small amount of fear. His head felt like someone had stuffed a particularly angry Thresher Maw into it while he wasn't looking. He tried to rise, but a massive wave of vertigo stopped him before he made it halfway.

"What happened?" he groaned. The sound of his voice intensified his headache

"We're not sure." she replied softly. "We took out the Geth and Asari relatively quickly, but by the time we looked back, you and Yuri were already on the floor." She reached down and applied a small amount of medigel to a cut the back of his head, likely put there when he collapsed. "What happened on your end? You've been like this for nearly ten minutes."

"Yuri and I… we fought Benezia mentally. We managed to break down her defenses and enter her mind. There was something else in there, something… savage. It fought us, and tried to stop us from retaking her psyche. We managed to kill it... whatever it was."

Yuri's voice came from a few feet to his side, and he looked over to see the man already on his knees. "I believe that beast was a manifestation of the Reaper presence within her mind. It fought to defend itself, just like a wild animal. I imagine that the experience of having something like that within your consciousness is likely… unpleasant."

"I suppose you could word it like that, yeah." replied Shepard, trying once again to rise. He made it to a sitting position, and was able to resist the waves of dizziness that assaulted him. "I don't know about you, but I feel like my head got hit by a train."

"That's a side-effect of mental exertion." he said, rising to stand. "Just as your body would be sore after a marathon run, your mind is sore after a fierce battle."

"And I suppose you didn't feel a thing?" sneered Tali. "After all, you've had plenty of practice with this sort of _exercise_."

Shepard put a hand on her shoulder and hauled himself to his feet. "Credit where it's due, Tali. We couldn't have saved Benezia without his help. Speaking of which, how is she?"

"T'Soni Matriarch is unconscious at this time." replied Pluribus, who was standing over her limp form. "However, her vital signs are stable, and she does not appear to be in any immediate danger."

"Good." replied Shepard, shaking his head in an attempt to clear the cobwebs. "I'm sure Liara will be glad to hear that. We need to-"

He cut off as he felt an overwhelming presence blanked his mind. It was like a gentle hand, reaching down to grasp him softly. He gasped in surprise, even as it faded. It had come from the Rachni Queen.

"What was that?" asked Yuri quietly. "It felt like…"

"I think it was the Queen." replied Shepard, walking over to stand near the containment pen it was in. There was a console near the tank, and it appeared to control some sort of psychic dampening field. He reached out to deactivate it, but stopped just short, instead reaching out with his mind to the Rachni Queen. When they met, he recoiled in shock from the contact, but then tried again, more slowly.

'_Can you understand me?'_

'_We can,'_ she said, sounding surprised._ 'We cannot sing… not in these low spaces. We never thought to encounter another who could._

"What's going on, Skipper?" asked Ashely nervously. "What was that… presence… we felt?"

"It was the Rachni Queen, Ash. I'm… talking to her, mentally. Let me focus for a minute."

'_How can I speak to you?'_ he asked.

'_You can sing, One of Troubled Melodies. Your music's are… pale, but they reverberate loudly.'_

'_Sing? You mean communicate psychically?'_

'_They mean the same. The rest cannot sing as you can, except for the other: the One of Discordant Harmonies.'_

'_Yuri. His name is Yuri. Mine is Johnathan Shepard, Commander in the Alliance Navy. Am I correct in assuming you're the Rachni Queen in front of me?'_

'_Yes, One of Troubled Melodies. We are the mother. We sing for those left behind. The children you thought silenced.'_

'_You mean the Rachni we killed were your children? Why did they attack us?'_

'_We were locked away here by the Colorless Ones. The children are beyond our songs, and they were driven mad by the lack of our voice. You gave them mercy by quieting them. They were… lost to silence.'_ she finished mournfully. She paused for a moment before continuing, a glimmer of hope in her voice. _'You are not in harmony with those who hoped to use us. What will you sing? Will you release us? Are we to fade away once more?'_

'_I… I don't know. Give me a moment.'_

Shepard turned to his team. After quickly reiterating what he had just been told, Wrex recovered first, and he wasn't happy.

"There are acid tanks rigged up on that thing. Set them off! Millions of my ancestors died to put these things down."

"John, if we kill her, we consign an entire _race_ to death. We can't make this decision on our own." said Tali.

"She's right, Shepard." said Nihlus. "This is a matter for the Council."

"You know what they'll say, Spectre." growled Wrex. "The Rachni are too dangerous to live. Kill the damn thing and get it over with."

"Wrex, I'm going to hear her out. If we'd attacked the true Geth before talking to Pluribus, we could've been committing pointless genocide. There may be mitigating factors. At the very least, we need more information." Shepard turned to the Queen once again.

'_Why did the Rachni attack the Council?'_

'_We were caged against our will. Our mothers sang to the children, but the Black Ones silenced their voices. They soured the songs of our mothers and used them to manipulate the children to do their bidding.'_

'_Black Ones? You mean the Reapers?'_ he asked, now alarmed.

'_Yes. They sought to use us as instruments of destruction, tools to their will. We were but an egg then, and we only faintly heard our mother's cries.'_

'_If the Reapers were controlling your people against their will, then I can't hold it against you. Yuri tried to do much the same to my people using machines, and we barely stopped him.'_

'_Then you will release us? You will give us the chance to compose anew?'_ she asked hopefully.

'_I will. But there will be repercussions for my actions. My people will have only my word to go on here, unless we can find a way to allow you to communicate with my superiors. Releasing you could start a war, and with the Reapers coming, we can't afford that.'_

'_We would fight the Black Ones.' _she replied firmly._ 'They enslaved our mothers, just as they sought to enslave our children, and us. We will follow whatever commands you give us, so long as they allow us to sing once more.'_

'_I think I can live with that. For now, I need you to board my ship and come with me to a secure location. We should be able to get your people back on their feet. It'll take some time, but if you're willing to fight the Reapers, I think we can convince my people to help you.'_

'_We will remember you, One of Troubled Melodies. We will sing of your forgiveness to our children.'_

When Shepard explained what had transpired, he was met with mixed reactions, the most vocal of which came from Wrex.

"Mark my words, Shepard: you'll regret this. It'll be my people's job to clean up this mess again."

"Wrex, they were being controlled by the Reapers. If they're willing to help fight them, then they deserve a second chance."

"Why?!" he growled. "They slaughtered _billions_ in the Rachni Wars!"

"And the Krogan killed just as many during the Rebellions!" Shepard countered angrily. "Why don't they deserve a second chance?"

Wrex reacted to the question as if he'd been hit in the face with a sledgehammer. He sputtered for a few moments, and Shepard continued, this time more diplomatically. "Wrex, I believe the Krogan deserve a second chance too. What the Salarians and Turians did to your people was abhorrent, very nearly unspeakable, and it should never have happened. At the very least, the Genophage should've been reversed a long time ago. Everyone who fought in the Rebellions is _dead_, and the Krogan's are a dying race. Your people are no more to blame for what they did than the Rachni. The Salarians made your people into weapons, just like the Reapers did to hers."

Wrex's anger faded. "Huh. Never thought I'd meet a person who gave a shit about the Krogan, _or _the Genophage. Alright Shepard, you convinced me. I'll reserve judgment for later."

"That's all I ask, Wrex." Shepard opened up a com line to the Normandy. "Joker, I need you to prepare to chrono a large, non-standard container aboard the Normandy. Dimensions are about five by five by fifteen meters."

"Can do, Commander. We'll have to make some room in the cargo hold, though. What're we bringing on board this time?"

Shepard chuckled slightly, and an evil glint came to his eye. "Oh, not much: just a member of a royal family and her… baggage. Why don't you come down to the hold when she arrives? I'm sure the Queen will love to meet you."

"Queen?" he asked confusedly. "What're you talking about?"

"Just come down to the hold. Trust me, it'll be worth the trip."


	22. Chapter 18: Unforseen Consequences

_**Author Notes: One thing I wanted to cover, just for the sake of covering it, is that despite being American (F*CK YEAH!), I use the metric system for my measurements in the story. While I don't normally use this space to rant, I feel like it so, w/e. Why is it that we stupid 'mericans can't seem to pull our heads out of our asses and use a measurement system that makes fucking sense? I'll admit, I'm constantly having to check myself on this, since I'm used to thinking with English measurements (kinda like being used to **_**thinking**_** in English, period). Even so, I work in a scientific field, so metric measurements are like a second language to me, and I can covert between the two (roughly, at least) with relative ease. That's something I never understood about my own culture, mostly because it makes doing things in one of my engineering courses so much harder. If you think it's difficult to draft a rough design for a suspension bridge that can withstand a magnitude six earthquake (in two hours no less, b/c it's for an exam), try doing it when all of the suppliers for the materials give their specs in metric, and you have to convert EVERY SINGLE ONE to feet, pounds, inches, foot-pounds, etc. and then makes sure all the numbers and math are correct when you convert the results back into metric to check your work, then BACK **__**into standard to submit it to your professor, because he's an eighty year-old foggy who doesn't understand that the English systems is MASSIVLY RETARDED!**_

_**Sorry, I just felt the need to get that out of my system. If you care to chip in on the matter, feel free. In the meantime, I hope you enjoy this (rather shortened) chapter, since I'm still feeling kinda under the weather. :( **_

* * *

_**Quick Edit: I want to let everyone know (again) that I really do appreciate all reviews, even the negative ones. That said, I'd prefer if reviews (good or bad) weren't anonymous, so I can respond to them. I won't EVER censor a review because it makes me look bad, or because I disagree with it, but I'd prefer to have the **_**option**_** to address them.**_

_**Timestamp: 4/11/2014**_

* * *

Chapter 18: Unforeseen Consequences

"So, Commander, what's this I hear about a Queen?" asked Joker smugly while he waited near the elevator in the cargo hold.

"We encountered a member of a rather interesting species in the lab Saren had set up on Noveria. Turns out, they have psychic powers."

"_What?_"

"Relax, Joker. I got the chance to communicate with her. She's friendly, if a little bit… intimidating. Thing is, Saren was trying to use the Queen to unlock the secret to her species' powers. Since we managed to break her out of there, I get the feeling she'll be… grateful."

"Commander, if you play the 'knight in shining armor,' and with a _Queen_ no less, Tali will beat you senseless. Have you seen the size of the shotgun she carries?"

"Believe me Joker, I know better than to get on Tali's bad side. Still, if you'd like, I could introduce you to her majesty. It might be worth a few broken bones to become the King of a psionic species."

Joker tapped his chin thoughtfully. "Do you think she's my type?"

Shepard kept his face carefully neutral as he replied. "I'll let you be the judge of that. After all, she should be arriving in a few seconds."

As if on cue, there was a familiar cloud of lighting and smoke in the recently cleared cargo hold, and the containment chamber the Rachni Queen was held in appeared not two meters away from the pair of Humans. Before he could think to say anything else, Joker was suddenly face to face with a sapient, psychic bug the size of tank, and the surreptitious recording device Shepard had installed on the side of the container caught every moment of his reaction. Purely for posterity, of course.

The first second or so was one of complete inaction and silence, likely the result of his brain going into immediate overload. That was quickly followed by an explosive contraction in his legs, which sent him catapulting out of his chair towards the elevator. Shepard winced mentally as he heard at least one of the long bones in his left leg, likely the fibula, crack and give way due to the rapid convulsion of his muscles. Having expected a reaction like this, Shepard managed to catch the bounding pilot before he could land and hurt himself further. As Joker's body took off like a rocket, he managed to inhale what had to be at_ least_ three liters of air into his lungs, which would explain the creaking sound his fragile ribs made. As soon as he reached his maximum capacity for oxygen, he let out an unbelievably high pitched scream, which made him sound more like a twelve year old girl than a twenty eight year old man. Considering his mouth was less than ten centimeters away from Shepard's head at the time, it immediately set his ears to ringing, and he just barely manage to catch Joker's legs as he raised them up into Shepard's waiting grasp. He quickly found the pilot's arms wrapped around his neck in a death lock, so the end result was like something out of a Scooby Doo cartoon, with Shepard holding a shrieking Joker bridal style while simultaneously trying not to double over laughing.

Somehow managing to keep his voice deadpan despite the tears of joy and hilarity running down his face, Shepard managed to pose the question he'd planned _specifically_ for this moment.

"I know, right? _Babealicious!_"

Unfortunately, the one thing Shepard _hadn't_ counted on was how close Joker's hands would be to his throat when he began planning this little prank of his. Hence, he quickly found his oxygen supply constricted by the unfathomably enraged and mortified pilot, a situation which was almost comical, considering the cartilage in his neck was stronger than Joker's Vrolik Syndrome-riddled bones.

"_**I'LL KILL YOU!**_" he roared, shaking Shepard's neck like it was a rag doll. The action made it difficult for Shepard to set the pilot down gently enough to avoid breaking any more of his bones, and even harder to pry his fingers away from his throat before he lapsed into unconsciousness from the surprisingly strong grasp around his windpipe.

It took Shepard nearly a minute of solid laughter to recover from the scene in front of him, while Joker cast repeated glances between him, the Queen, and the elevator. Shepard finally managed to wheeze out a partial explanation. "Oh, man. That was _totally_ worth whatever you end up doing to get back at me."

"_What the hell is that?!_" yelled Joker, waving his arm towards the Rachni Queen. "_I though you said there was a Queen coming on board!_"

Shepard grinned evilly as he responded. "That's a _Rachni_ Queen, Joker. I'll still introduce you to her, though I think she may have gotten a poor first impression of her future hubby."

Those few words were all it took to send Joker teetering over the edge into blissful unconsciousness.

* * *

As Shepard entered the Medbay on the Normandy carrying Joker's limp form, he nearly ran into Dr. Chakwas, who was just on her way out.

"Oh! Commander." she exclaimed, jumping slightly just before colliding with him. "I was just coming to see you. Did something happen to Joker?"

"He just got a bit… overexcited." replied Shepard, a hint of sarcasm in his voice. "Unfortunately, I think I heard one of his bones break. His left fibula, unless I'm mistaken"

"Hmm. Well, it's not like it hasn't happened before. What was he doing _this_ time?"

"Heh. I was just introducing him to our newest guest down in the cargo hold."

"Guest?"

He moved to set Joker down on one of the empty examination tables, right next to the one inhabited by Benezia's unconscious body. Liara was sitting next to her mother, holding her hand tightly with her head bowed. "Long story, Doc. Suffice it to say the Council will _not_ be pleased when I tell them about her. They have this… _thing_ with the Rachni."

"_Rachni_?" she exclaimed, now alarmed. Liara didn't react to the news. She seemed… zoned out.

"Easy Doc. She's friendly. And before you start, may I remind you we have a _Geth_ and _Yuri_ on board?"

She fidgeted for a moment before regaining her composure. "I suppose you're right. But I wouldn't want to be in your shoes when the Council hears about this, Commander."

"Neither would I. First thing's first, how's Benezia?"

"Her vital signs are stable, if a bit weak." she replied. "I'm getting some unusual brainwave activity from her, though"

"I suppose that's to be expected, considering what happened to her on the planet." he replied.

Liara stood suddenly, but kept her grip on Benezia's hand. "What happened to my mother, Shepard?"

Shepard sighed softly, then pulled up a chair and sat. He met her eyes before answering, and saw that they were filled with concern, as well as barely restrained tears. "She was partially indoctrinated. From what we could tell, she managed to preserve a small part of her mind, and protect it from whatever Sovereign did to her. Yuri and I… we broke through her mental defenses and went through her thoughts."

Shepard didn't have time to react before he found himself being slammed into the wall by Liara's biotics. "You did WHAT?!"

He kept calm as he responded. "We had no choice, Liara. She was under the influence of… something. When we broke into her psyche, the Reaper presence in her mind attacked us. It was like some kind of feral animal. We managed to destroy it, at least I think we did, but we may have caused some damage in the process. I'm not sure."

She dropped him suddenly, and all of her previous strength went out of her body as she slumped in her chair. "How… how much damage?"

"Like I said, I'm not sure. Unfortunately, I might have to go back in. If the readings Chakwas is getting indicate further indoctrination, it may be the only way to save her."

"I can't let you do that, John." said Chakwas. "I have no idea what happened to her down there, and you could do more harm than good."

"Damnit, Karin. If that thing survived, it'll kill her. It'll do worse than kill her, it'll _consume_ her. I can't imagine what it would be like to have something _eat_ your mind like that, and I'm not about to let Benezia find out."

"Do it." said Liara suddenly. "I won't let that thing take my mother."

Chakwas shook her head. "Liara, I can't allow-"

"_I'm her daughter_" growled Liara, her voice somewhere between defensive and angry. "As her next of kin, the decision is mine."

Chakwas shook her head again, but yielded. "You're right, of course. But it goes against my better judgment."

Liara only looked at Shepard, but it was plain to see what she wanted. He sighed heavily, but then concentrated on entering Benezia's mind, gently this time. He felt her psyche offer feeble resistance, but it was easily brushed aside by his psychic powers.

'_Benezia? Can you hear me?'_

'_Yes… Who… what's going on?'_

'_I'll explain in a moment. Can you feel anything… off?'_

'_I don't think so. The presence that inhabited my mind is gone. It was destroyed by two others.'_ There was a pause. _'Were you one of them?'_

'_Yes. I'm not sure if you can tell, but I need to know if the battle caused any damage to your mind. Our doctor is concerned for your safety.'_

She hesitated. _'I don't believe that you did any lasting harm. However, that… creature ran rampant through my thoughts for quite some time. It may take me a while to recover.'_

'_I can understand that. It's like getting mauled by a rabid varren. If it helps, there's someone who'd like to talk to you, when you feel up to it.'_

'_Who, exactly?'_

'_Liara.'_

'_Little Wing? She's here?'_

'_She's been at your side for the past hour. She's very worried about you.'_

Shepard felt Benezia try to push him out of her mind, and he didn't resist. As he came back to the real world, he noticed Benezia beginning to stir. Liara noticed it too, and her eyes went wide.

"Little Wing?" asked Benezia in a weak voice.

"Mother? Oh, Goddess, are you alright?" she asked, on the verge of tears.

"I will be. I'm very tired, little one. I need to rest. The ones who rescued me: can you thank them for me?"

"You're welcome, Benezia." said Shepard. She turned her head towards him, and her eyes widened slightly in recognition.

"Johnathan? Johnathan Shepard?"

He only nodded. "Get some rest, Benezia. We can discuss what happened later, after you and Liara have a chance to talk."

She nodded, very slightly, then closed her eyes and drifted off to sleep. Rising, he turned to Chakwas.

"Best I can tell, there's no permanent damage, and the indoctrination's gone for good. Even so, she's been through a hell of a lot of mental trauma. It'll be a long time before she fully recovers."

Chakwas nodded. "I'll keep her under observation for the time being, Commander."

Shepard turned towards the door to leave, and Liara gave him a grateful smile as he exited. The moment he was out of the Medbay, his good mood evaporated. Now to deal with the Council. And Noveria. He made his way to the CIC, and shanghaied his XO, Pressley, into helping him with paperwork. He didn't react to well to the revelation that they would have to spend the next six hours documenting why the Normandy deployed one of its' dozen tactical nukes, but when Shepard told him about the scientists in the Rift Station, as well as the feral Rachni, he only nodded solemnly, his face grim.

After finishing the mind-numbing process of filling out the forms, he had Pressley log them with FleetCom before heading to the bridge to see Joker. He found him sitting in his usual place, albeit with a hard cast around his lower leg.

"Alright Commander, I'll give that one to ya. You got me good." he said with a grin. He adopted an accent somewhere between Groucho Marx and Bugs Bunny before continuing. "Of course, you know, this means war."

"Bring it, glass-jaw."

"You're gonna regret that, I promise you."

"We'll see." Shepard's voice lost its' mirth, and he opened his omnitool. "In the meantime, I need you to chrono a tactical nuke to these coordinates. Maximum yield."

"What is it this time, a full-blown Reaper?" he asked with a smirk. When he saw the Commander's face, he dropped it.

"There was a lot of shit down there, Joker. I just spent the last six hours filling out the paperwork to give some of Saren's victims a Norse funeral."

"Roger that, Commander. Nuke away."

A few seconds later, there was a blinding flash of light far below on the surface. If he hadn't already warned Noveria control about it, they would've been shitting in their pants. Shepard watched the mushroom cloud dissipate before leaving the cockpit silently.

'_The next one of those I use goes straight down Saren's throat.'_

* * *

"Joker, open a QEC channel to the Council."

A few moments later, a familiar set of holograms appeared before Shepard in the otherwise empty com room.

"Commander. How went the mission to find Benezia?" asked Valern.

"Well in some respects, poorly in others." he responded. "My team encountered Benezia, along with several of her followers, down on the planet, in a private research lab. She managed to bring along a small army of Geth, and we were forced to use... drastic means to contain the situation."

"Define drastic." requested Sparatus warily.

"Two hundred kiloton drastic." he replied dryly. The Councilors gave him disparaging looks as he continued. "The good news is that we were able to recover Benezia. She was under the effects of Sovereign's indoctrination, but Yuri and I were able to free her."

"I'm glad to hear that, Commander." said Tevos. "Have you been able to ascertain why she was there?"

"Unfortunately, no; at least, not entirely. The process of breaking the Reaper's hold on her was very taxing on her mind, and she still needs time to recover. However…" he trailed off.

"However, what?" asked Raan.

"Saren was conducting experiments on psionic abilities in that lab."

That left the Council in shock, except for Hannah. "How is that possible?" she asked worriedly.

"Saren discovered a member of a species with natural psychic powers." He hesitated a moment. "The Rachni."

"_WHAT?!_" screeched Tevos, with most of the Council echoing her sentiment.

"Look, it's a long story, so bear with me. According to the data we retrieved from the facility's archives, Saren discovered a cryogenically preserved Rachni egg quite some time ago. Turns out, it contained a Queen. He had the scientists there working on a number of projects dealing with the Rachni. The first, which they called Project P, was research into the mechanics behind their psychic powers. From what we can tell, he was able to determine how their abilities worked on a biological level, but not how to replicate them."

"That's somewhat comforting, at least." muttered Tevos.

"The second, called Project R, was an attempt to use the Queen to breed an army of Rachni soldiers, which he'd be able to control using the Queen's powers, once he understood them. Apparently, the data from these two projects was being fed into a third, a Project O. Unfortunately, all information relating to Project O was deleted before we could get there, and despite Tali and Pluribus' best efforts, it was unrecoverable. We don't have the foggiest idea of what _it_ might be."

"Even so, you did a remarkable job, Commander." replied Sparatus. "While I normally wouldn't agree with the use of a nuclear weapon in such a situation, the presence of a Rachni Queen warrants it."

"Actually, about that… before the facility was destroyed, I was able to communicate with the Queen using my abilities."

The Council went very still at his revelation. "That would seem to be rather… ill advised, Commander." replied Valern, his mouth narrowing.

"Perhaps, but under the circumstances, I felt it was an acceptable risk." he answered calmly. "The containment chamber she was in was heavily shielded against psychic exfiltration, much like our anti-MC headsets. I won't bore you with the details for now, but the long and short of it is that the Rachni were being forcibly controlled and manipulated during the Rachni Wars."

Sparatus looked at him suspiciously. "Controlled by who?"

Shepard opened his mouth to answer, but Hannah beat him to the punch. "The Reapers." she said in a flat voice.

"Perceptive as ever, mother." replied Shepard with a warm smile. "Yes. Apparently, the Reapers possess some sort of technology that either lets them control Rachni minds more easily than ours, or they found a way to interfere with the Rachni's natural abilities, and hijack them. From what I was able to ascertain, Rachni Queens communicate with their brood telepathically. The Reapers were able to override that signal, and tried to use the Rachni to overrun the galaxy a few millennia early."

"So the Reapers can MC Rachni?" asked Raan. "That's… disturbing."

"I still can't believe you two believe this nonsense about 'Reapers.' " sneered Sparatus.

That finally caused Shepard to snap. "Sparatus, how the hell did you ever manage to remove your head from your ass long enough to become a Councilor? Did you _sleep_ your way to the top? If you want _proof_ that the Reapers are real, I'm sure Benezia can arrange that when we get back to the Citadel."

"How DARE YOU?!" he yelled, his face filled with fury. "I should have you arrested and_ shot_ for that!"

"Good luck." scoffed Hannah. He turned his furious glare towards her, but she was unfazed. "I may not agree with his wording, but I agree with the sentiment. You're willfully blinding yourself to the truth, Sparatus. Will it take an assault on the Citadel _itself_ for you to see reason?"

Sparatus shook slightly in outrage, but managed to control himself enough to _act_ calm. "When you arrive on the Citadel, we'll examine this _evidence_ of yours, Shepard. It had better be good."

Shepard studiously ignored him as he continued. "As I was saying... the fact is, the Rachni were used as weapons of war, against their will. Does this situation seem familiar to anyone?" he asked sardonically. The Councilors cast sidelong glances at each other, but said nothing. He pressed on. "The point is, we can't hold something like that against them. We fought a war against someone who did _exactly_ the same thing, a _someone_ who just so happens to be on this very ship. With that in mind… I brought the Queen aboard the Normandy before the research station was destroyed." he finished, bracing himself for the incoming tirade.

"_**YOU DID WHAT?!**_" bellowed the Council, almost in unison. The only one who remained silent was Hannah, though Raan was a bit quieter about her protest.

"KILL IT! _NOW!_" ordered Tevos, her face looking close to bursting with rage.

"No."

"This isn't optional, Shepard!" yelled Tevos. "This is a direct order from the Council! Kill! It! NOW!"

He couldn't hold back the smirk that came to his face. That goddamn formal education would finally pay dividends. "The Queen was born in Alliance space." he retorted smugly. "Since she's sapient, that makes her an Alliance citizen. Under the Treaty of Shanxi, the Council doesn't have the power or authority to order me to kill an Alliance citizen without a trial, even if I _am_ a Spectre."

Tevos' mouth worked silently for a few seconds, and it looked like she'd been hit in the face with a car. Before anyone could say anything, Hannah suddenly reared back her head and started cackling like a hyena, drawing incredulous stares from Raan and Valern. She nearly doubled over, and had to grab the podium in front of her to remain standing.

Shepard smiled maniacally as he moved to cut off the communications channel.

"You just got _pwned!_"


	23. Chapter 19: Enemy at the Gates

Chapter 19: Enemy at the Gates

Having just pissed off at _least_ three of the most powerful people in the galaxy, Shepard decided he needed to move, and move quickly, if he wanted to stay ahead of the veritable shit-storm he'd just started. To that end, he made his way to the command deck and resolved to contact an old friend.

"Joker, see if you can get Admiral Hackett on the horn."

A few minutes later, the admiral's hologram appeared above galaxy map in the CIC.

"Commander."

"Admiral. I've got a bit of a problem, and I could use your help."

"What sort of problem are we talking about, here?"

"Would you believe me if I said Saren was studying psychic powers in a lab on Noveria, and he was trying to use them to create and control his own personal army?"

"In a heartbeat."

"Good, because he was. The individual he was using is a member of a species that possesses natural psionic abilities. I was able to recover her from the facility, and have her aboard the Normandy. Unfortunately, the Turian, Salarian, and Asari Councilors disagree with that decision, and ordered me to kill her."

"Wait, slow down here. _Natural_ psionic abilities?"

"Yes sir."

"And you rescued her?" he asked slowly.

"I did."

"Well. I can see why they might object to _that_, but considering she was being used against her will, I think their reaction is a bit extreme. Still, as a Spectre, you're required to follow their orders, even if it means killing an innocent."

Shepard grinned evilly. "Not exactly, Admiral. As it turns out, she was born in Alliance space, which makes her an Alliance citizen. I'm protecting her under a technicality in the Treaty of Shanxi."

Hackett grinned even wider than Shepard. "Ha! I bet Tevos didn't take _that_ well. What's this got to do with me?"

"I get the feeling the Council may very well revoke my Spectre status for protecting her. Even so, she's the last member of her race, and I won't countenance genocide. I need a safe place to hide her for a while, from both the Council _and_ the Alliance general public. I'd ask my mother for help, but she's gonna have her hands full dealing with the political bullshit."

"Hmm. Well, I'm sure we could find somewhere on a military base to keep her for a while."

Shepard shook his head. "I wish it were that simple, Admiral. The reason the Council ordered me to kill her is that she's Rachni."

"_WHAT?!_"

Shepard sighed loudly. "Yeah, that was their reaction, too. Look, it's a long story, but here're the basics: The Reapers were using some sort of mind control to force the Rachni into attacking the Council and starting the Rachni Wars. In my book, that makes them about as guilty as Yuri's victims, and I won't execute her for something like that, _especially_ when it means condemning an entire race."

Hackett hesitated for a moment, rubbing his chin and looking pensive. "How can you be sure of all this, Shepard?"

Shepard tapped the side of his head. "MC powers, remember? I was able to look inside her mind. She's telling the truth; I'm sure of it. Even so, we need to develop a way for the Rachni to resist further influence from the Reapers. If we do, they could prove to be a valuable ally in the future."

Hackett looked stunned. "Are you actually suggesting a _formal_ _alliance_ with the Rachni?"

"Eventually, yes. She's offered to help fight the Reapers, and I'm inclined to let her. For now, though, the Queen needs somewhere safe to begin rebuilding her civilization. It needs to be somewhere the Council can't find her, preferably somewhere _nobody_ can find her. If possible, I'd like to keep the location within the Alliance High Command. Additionally, we need to keep an eye on her. I might believe her story, but it's better to be safe than sorry."

Hackett took a moment to respond. "Shepard, this is… this is incredibly dangerous. You know that, right? Both of us could be shot for doing something like this. Hell, we could start a galaxy sized _war_ because of this. I'm not sure it's worth it."

"Sir, any war we start will _pale_ in comparison to the one the Reapers bring when they arrive. I won't let the Rachni _burn_ out of fear of what the Council _might_ do. Frankly, we _need_ her help."

"Damnit." he sighed. "Alright. I'll see what I can do to convince the rest of the High Command. For now, there's one place I think we can keep her. There's a planet in Alliance space we've been surveying for a while as a possible location for our black book science and research projects. It's got some damn harsh surface conditions, but the Rachni should be resistant to them. We chose it because it's nearly fifty light-years away from any inhabited system, and more than twice that from a Relay. It's damn near on the edge of the galaxy, actually. I'll transmit the coordinates to your personal omnitool."

"What's the name of the planet?"

"No name, Shepard. We've managed to erase all mention of it from our official charts and records, and I expect you to do the same. The only person outside you and the rest of the High Command who might know about it is the Shadow Broker, and even that's doubtful. The code name for it is…"

"Is?"

"Black Mesa."

* * *

It took nearly a full week to get the Rachni Queen to safety on Black Mesa, during which time the crew of the Normandy had almost nothing to do. It grated on their nerves, being cooped up for that long while Saren was gallivanting around the galaxy doing god-knows what. After speaking with Hackett, Shepard had the entire crew surrender their omnitools and QECs, before putting the Normandy under a total communications blackout and having Tali and Pluribus lock the ship's computers out of recording their flight plan. The only person who could make or receive calls was him, and he only did it once, to confirm with Hackett that they'd arrived at the planet and dropped off the Queen.

"The Council wants to speak with you, Shepard."

"I'm sure they do, Admiral. Why do you think I've been sending them to voicemail for the past week? Right now, I don't have any official orders, and until I bug out of the system, I intend to keep it that way."

Hackett chuckled slightly. "Did anyone ever tell you that you're a _sneaky bastard_?"

"Yes, actually. But considering it was my mother, that's the biggest case of the pot calling the kettle black I've ever heard."

Hackett chuckled again, louder. "I suppose it is, isn't it? Regardless, I'm forwarding the details of a new assignment to you. Rear Admiral Kohaku had an S&amp;R team go missing in the Artemis Tau cluster recently, and since you're relatively close, I'd like you to check it out. They were investigating some kind of distress call when they went dark. The disturbing thing is, the team he sent is gone, but the original signal's still there."

That sent a ball of icy fear crashing into Shepard's gut. "That sounds like… that sounds like Akuze." he murmured.

"Yes, it does." Hackett replied solemnly. "Stay on your toes down there, Commander. Hackett out."

Shepard stood at the CIC for a minute, trying to reign in his rampaging emotions. Eventually, he found himself walking around the ship, almost aimlessly. He wasn't sure where he was headed, and he only snapped out of his reverie when he entered the Medbay. As soon as he did, Benezia and Liara turned to face him. The Asari mother and daughter had been nearly inseparable since Benezia regained consciousness two days ago.

"Johnathan. It's good to see you." said Benezia. Her voice took on a mildly annoyed tone. "I've wanted to speak with you for some time, but Dr. Chakwas _insists_ on further bed rest. You'd think I've had enough in the past week."

Shepard laughed slightly. "Benezia, there are only two people in the galaxy who I think could match _you_ in a contest of wills, and I wouldn't want to see Karin and my mother go head to head. It'd be safer to fight a Thresher Maw on foot."

She grinned slightly. "How _is_ Hannah doing?"

"Well enough, I suppose. I have the feeling she's not too happy with me at the moment, though."

"Oh?"

"I talked to the Council shortly after speaking to you last. Besides ignoring their order to kill the Rachni Queen, I may have… insinuated… that Sparatus became a Councilor through rather… inappropriate means."

Benezia arched an eyebrow… thing… at him. "Inappropriate?"

"I asked if he slept his way to the top." admitted Shepard sheepishly.

Benezia let out a short, trilling laugh. "Oh, Goddess. You said that to his _face_?"

"Kinda."

"Are you _crazy_? Hannah's going to be _very_ upset with you, Johnathan." she chided, unable to completely hide her mirth.

Liara interrupted the conversation. "Wait, I don't understand. What does it mean to… 'sleep your way to the top?' "

Benezia's eyes popped at her daughter's question, and her crests flushed slightly. Shepard answered, a bit of amusement in his voice.

"It's a Human aphorism meaning that someone attains advancement by giving… favors to those in positions of power. Sexual favors."

Liara's crests immediately turned a brilliant shade of cerulean and she cleared her throat loudly. "I… I see. That's rather… inappropriate to say to a Citadel Councilor."

"It's downright stupid, Johnathan." countered Benezia firmly. "Did you never learn to hold your tongue? They could strip you of your Spectre status for that _alone_."

"Let them." he said bluntly. "I'm sick of putting up with their bullshit. If they had their way, they'd stick their heads in the sand and wait for the Reapers to arrive in force before doing anything about it. I'll be damned if I let that happen."

Benezia paused for a moment to digest his words before replying. "You are truly your mother's son." A look of determination came to her face. "However, I happen to agree with you about the Reapers. Once we return to the Citadel, I'll see if I can't persuade them to see the truth."

"Do you think you can manage?" he asked.

"Johnathan, when your mother presented her conditions for peace after the Contact War, _I_ was the one to deliver them to the Council. Tevos became rather… agitated, and I had to slap some sense into her."

"You _slapped_ the Asari Citadel Councilor?" he asked incredulously.

She grinned devilishly. "Twice. And I threatened to spank her like a child if she didn't compose herself."

Shepard let out a booming belly laugh at the revelation. "And you call _me_ crazy?"

Liara sent a look of pride towards her mother, though it was laced with streaks of mortification and disbelief. "Mother!"

"She needed it." Benezia sniffed. "And from the looks of things, they may _all_ need the same. When do you intend to return to the Citadel?"

"Soon. For now though, I've got an assignment from Admiral Hackett in the Artemis Tau cluster. We should arrive in a few days."

* * *

"Wrex, Tali, Ash, I want you three to come down with me to Edolus in the MIAFV. We're looking for an MIA S&amp;R team, and we need to find out what's sending the signal they were investigating."

"John, this sounds-"

"I know, Tali." he said, cutting her off. "That's why I'm bringing you and Wrex. If anything goes wrong down there, I want all the firepower we can muster."

"John… maybe you should stay here for this one. Let me take Garrus instead."

Shepard hesitated a moment, but then shook his head. "No. I _need_ to do this, Tali. Suit up and get ready."

The trip down to the surface of Edolus was relatively routine, and the short drive to the location of the transmitter was equally mundane. As the vehicle topped the last rise before the open plain, the scope on Shepard's Perch allowed him to make out the charred remains of a destroyed MIAFV. When it was close enough for the rest of his crew to see, Shepard felt his stomach bottom out when he saw the bodies.

"Fuck."

"What is it, John?" asked Tali concernedly.

"I think I see the S&amp;R team… what's left of them, anyway."

"Oh, Keelah. John…"

"Just… stop the tank, Ash."

She did as he asked, a little over two hundred meters from the site. Before he could think about it further, Shepard activated his chronosuit and appeared next to the wreck of the vehicle. There were half a dozen Human corpses around and in it, all Marines. Two were charred from the fires that'd gutted their tank, but the others looked like they'd been _dissolved_ by some kind of powerful acid. The instant he saw them, Shepard knew what'd happened, and he quickly found himself on the ground, emptying his stomach.

'_Christ._' he thought numbly. In a moment, his brain started working again. _'This is Akuze all over again. Well, if there _was_ a Maw here, it's gone. I need to find whatever it was that brought them here.'_

He stood shakily, and made his way to the wreck, taking out his omnitool as he did and scanning for the source of the mysterious broadcast signal. After a few seconds, he located a small, metallic box that'd been dropped near the body of one of the Marines. It lacked any markings, and clearly wasn't Alliance issue.

"What the hell?" he mumbled. _'Whatever this thing is, it lured these guys to their deaths. That's _not_ happening again.'_ He activated his chronosuit and teleported back to the waiting tank. Almost as soon as he reappeared, everything went black.

* * *

Pain.

'_This again?'_

Thought, then sound.

"-king up. Commander, can you hear me?"

'_Well, at least this time I don't need to worry about some damn vision being rammed into my head.'_

"We've _got_ to stop meeting like this, Karin." he replied quietly. He expected to feel a monstrous headache, but whatever she gave him _this_ time was proving effective. Still, it felt like he'd been hit by a bus.

"You big bosh'tet." said Tali softly.

"Well, at least I didn't get another vision this time." he said, trying to rise. When he found he couldn't, he looked down, only to find he was surrounded by a skin-tight Mass Effect field, acting as a full body cast. Beneath it were several layers of dermal wrap, which encompassed most of his torso and upper leg on his left side. "What happened?"

"The beacon you found had some sort of proximity trigger." replied Tali. "When you tried to leave with it, it exploded. If it hadn't been for your shields and armor, you…"

"Would've died?" he finished softly.

She didn't answer, but she bowed her head, and a pair of tears rolled down her cheeks.

"Tali… I'm glad I went down there." Her head snapped up suddenly, and her eyes locked with his. "I'd rather it be me than you, or anyone else, really." He hesitated for a moment. "At least there wasn't a Thresher Maw this time."

"No, John… there was. After you… the explosion attracted it. Wrex and I managed to kill it before it could do anything, but it's definitely what killed the rescue party. John… that beacon was planted there as a trap. Those men were _lured _there, intentionally."

That made him angry, and he let out a low growl. "Was there anything left of the beacon for you to analyze?"

"Not much." she replied. "Pluribus and I've been going over what's left of it for the past two days, but we haven't been able to determine anything more than the chemical composition of the alloys it's made of. That helps, but not a lot."

"Two days? That's how long I was out?"

"Yeah. When we got you back up to the ship… you were in rough shape. Karin's been working on you for all that time."

Chakwas continued the sentence. "And I must say, you're lucky you had a chronosuit. Its' emergency systems kicked in right after the explosion, and put your body in stasis. If it hadn't, things could've been much worse. As it stands, I want you here for three more days, minimum."

"It looks like I'll have some company then." said Benezia, turning to face him. He hadn't realized she was there.

"Heh. I guess there's that, at least. Actually, I meant to ask you about this earlier, but-"

"About Saren?" She didn't wait for him to answer. "He sent me to Noveria to acquire the location of the Mu Relay." Seeing his confused look, she explained. "The Mu Relay is a Mass Relay that was lost roughly four thousand years ago. The supernova of a nearby star pushed it into interstellar space and swathed it in hot gas and dust. Since not even Alliance sensors can detect cold objects like that, the only way to locate the Relay was to obtain the information from a being that already had it. The Relay was in Rachni controlled territory, and Saren sent me to acquire its' location from the Queen. I… was not gentle."

"You were being controlled, Benezia. It's not your fault, and you know it." he said. "Why did Saren want the location of the Mu Relay?"

"He never said. All I know is that we mustn't let him succeed. I transmitted the information to him shortly before you arrived, and I fear we may've delayed too long."

Shepard sighed. "Unfortunately, we can't do much about it at the moment. For now, I-"

"Need to rest." said Tali, cutting him off. "You'll stay here for three days, even if I have to sit on you."

He laughed, but then winced in pain. "Fair enough, Tali. Tell Joker to set a course for the Citadel, but to take his time getting there." As he lay his head back down on the bed, he closed his eyes. "In the meantime, I'll get some rest. When I wake up, there are a million things I need to tell you, Benezia."

* * *

When the Normandy arrived at the Citadel eighty hours later, Shepard, Tali, Nihlus, and Benezia had barely made it out of the airlock before the C-Sec guards arrived.

"We're here to escort you to the Council, Commander." said their leader, a Turian wearing black armor.

"Lead on." he replied calmly.

After a few minutes of wordless travel, Tali finally broke the silence.

"John, what…?"

"The Council's probably pissed at me. Best guess, they'll strip me of my Spectre status."

Tali gaped at the revelation. "They can't do that!"

"Of course they can." interjected Benezia. "Spectres are agents of the Council. Showing blatant disrespect to one of them and disobeying a direct order they give is grounds for removal."

"But Hannah-"

"Is only one Councilor." said Benezia, cutting her off firmly. "As is Shala'Raan. He's pushed them too far for them to simply ignore his behavior. It's likely that he won't be imprisoned: they can't risk angering the Alliance by doing something _that_ drastic, but they won't stand for something like this."

"It doesn't matter." said Shepard angrily. "When I decided to go after Saren, I said I'd do it alone if necessary, and I meant it. Spectre or not, I intend to find him and kill him."

"You're not alone, John." replied Tali. "I'm with you in this, all the way. Everyone aboard the Normandy is… well, maybe not Yuri, but you get the picture."

"They'll probably give one of us command of the mission, Shepard." said Nihlus. "Unless…"

"Unless what?"

A look came to Nihlus' face of what would be described as a sly grin on a Human. "Shepard, I think you're starting to rub off on me. You saved my life back there on Feros, and I may have just found a way to repay that."

"Stop being all mysterious, Nihlus." ordered Shepard. "What is it?"

"Well…"

* * *

When they quartet finally arrived at the Citadel tower, they were quickly ushered up to the audience podium, where the Council was waiting. Tevos started in almost immediately.

"Johnathan Shepard. Based on your recent activities, your blatant and utter disrespect for the authority of this Council, and your failure to obey our order to destroy the Rachni Queen, we have decided to strip you of your Spectre status. While there will be no further punishment for your actions," she declared, casting a sidelong glance at Hannah, "you will be removed from the investigation into Saren Arterius' activities, effective immediately. Tali'Zorah nar Rayya, we're appointing you to take his place as lead Spectre in the case."

"No." she replied bluntly.

Tevos looked stunned. "Excuse me?"

"No." she repeated firmly. "I won't let you do this to John. I'm officially resigning my position as a Spectre."

It took Tevos a moment to respond from her shock. "Very well, then. Nihlus-"

"Not a chance, Tevos." he said with a smile, interrupting her. "I'm resigning as well."

"Are you mad!" yelled Sparatus. "What's gotten into you, Kryik?"

"There's an old saying that Humans have: 'We must, indeed, all hang together, or assuredly, we shall all hang separately.' Your actions here are a disgrace. You're letting petty squabbles and old hatreds get in the way of the bigger picture. The Reapers are coming." he said, his words carrying an air of finality. "All of us: Human, Turian, Asari, Salarian, Quarian, Krogan, Geth, even _Rachni_; all of us have to unite as one if we're to have any hope of defeating them. We need to put politics aside and hang together. If we don't, we die."

The Council simply stared at him for a few moments, though Hannah and Raan wore bemused grins. After a long moment, Tevos turned an angry glare on Shepard.

"YOU! You orchestrated this, _didn't you_?!" she accused.

"Nope." he said with a laugh. "This was Nihlus' idea. I'm just along for the ride."

Tevos let out a low growl. "If you think for one _instant_ that we're going to let you strong-arm and blackmail us into letting you-"

"Do what, Tevos?" interrupted Benezia coldly. "Save the lives of trillions of people? Stop the pointless genocide of an entire species? Prevent the destruction of every technologically advanced, sapient race in the entire galaxy? Make the _choice_ to do the right thing?"

Tevos winced slightly at the word. "Benezia, we can't-"

"The Reapers are real." she stated, he voice as hard as iron. "If you require further proof, I'll _give_ it to you. I've _stood_ in one of them, _Councilor_." she said with scorn. The word caused Tevos to wince a second time. "I've felt their power. I was forced to stand idly by and watch as they tore through my mind and enslaved my will. I would be dead if it weren't for Johnathan Shepard; dead, or _worse_. I would've ended up as a mindless _husk_ like so many of my followers, if not for him. Your actions will lead us all to _disaster_ Tevos, and this time, we won't be able to _buy_ our way out of it, as we did in the Contact War. I may not be able to do anything about Valern and Sparatus' actions, but I won't allow your weakness to compromise our people in this, our most difficult hour. The enemy is at the gates, and they're about to bring them crashing down on our heads." She paused for a few seconds to let her words sink in. "If you wish to test your will against mine, then by all means, continue with what you were saying."

Tevos simply stood there, unable to make a sound. Eventually, Valern spoke.

"Matriarch Benezia, you must understand: we can't allow this type of infraction against the Council to pass unanswered."

"Nor should you." she replied. "If you feel it necessary to strip Johnathan of his Spectre status, then do so. However, you can't be so short-sighted as to believe that the Alliance would accept anyone but a Human or a Quarian to lead the investigation into Saren. If you try, they may very well launch their own, _independent_ investigation, and Shepard would almost certainly lead it, and take his crew and his ship with him. You would change nothing, except to lose what little control over his actions you already have. After all, as a Geist, he has nearly as much authority as a Spectre, and you have no say over how they operate."

"Then what is it you would suggest?" asked Sparatus.

"Simple. Strip him of his status as a Spectre."

"But you just said-"

"What I just said is irrelevant, since you _obviously_ weren't listening closely enough. Let me spell it out for you: strip him of his Spectre status, and nothing else. He and his team will continue the investigation into Saren, as they have been."

"But how can he lead an effective investigation without the power of a Spectre?" questioned Valern.

"He has Tali and Nihlus' authority as Spectres, if needed, as well as his own as a Geist."

"The Spectres report to the _Council_, and the Council only. He can't _lead_ them." retorted Sparatus in a puzzled and disbelieving voice.

Benezia let out a humorless laugh. "Of course you would think that. Johnathan may not have the _rank_ or the _legal authority_ to order them about, but he doesn't need it. He _leads_ by virtue of his own will and resolve. To put it in perspective, he _convinced_ the Alliance High Command to shelter the Rachni from the Council, and he did it in less than _five minutes_, based on nothing more than his word."

All of the Councilors, excluding Hannah, could do nothing but gape at the revelation. She simply gave him a look of pride, though it was quickly replaced by a stern mask. It took nearly a full ten seconds, but Tevos finally recovered from Benezia's speech.

"Very well. If you have no objections…?" she asked, turning to Sparatus and Valern, who said nothing. "Johnathan Shepard, you are hereby stripped of your Spectre status. Officially, Tali'Zorah nar Rayya will lead the investigation. Unofficially…"

"Fine." said Shepard, sounding almost bored. "I'm sure Benezia has some things she'd like to discuss with you, in private. In the meantime, I still have a job to do."

* * *

After leaving the Council to their deliberations, Shepard had Tali and Nihlus return to the Normandy. Then, knowing she'd be waiting for him, he decided to make his way to the Alliance embassy to see his mother. On his way there, he was stopped by middle aged Human woman.

"A moment of your time, Spectre? I have a business proposition for you."

Shepard was already annoyed at her for stopping him. "And that would be?"

"I'm acquainted with a pair of powerful crime bosses. They're hiding on remote worlds, and I have the coordinates. You could do the galaxy a favor."

A quick look inside her mind told him everything he needed to know. "Let me get this straight: you want _me_ to hunt down your competition, so you can take over their _business_?" Her eyes went wide in shock, and he laughed grimly. "Firstly, I'm not a Spectre, not any more. Secondly, I'm a _Geist_, and if you think I'd willingly work with _your_ crime syndicate just because your competition happens to practice slavery, you've made one _hell_ of a miscalculation." He paused for a moment to let his words sink in. "Here's my counteroffer: give me the coordinates you were planning to anyways, and disband your organization. If you do, I'll have the Rangers make raids on their bases and I'll forget you exist. If you don't, I'll arrest you right now, get the coordinates the hard way, and then convince your _rivals_ to testify against you… Helena Blake."

She managed to maintain her cool, at least on the surface, but Shepard could sense her anxiety and trepidation skyrocket when he used her name. "I see. Considering you seem to have far more information on me than I originally thought… I accept your terms, Geist."

She gave him the coordinates and turned to leave, but he gave her one final warning that brought her to a halt. "I'm giving you a second chance, Blake, and that's not something I usually do. If I see any evidence of your _operation_ again, you won't live to go to prison. Don't screw this up."

"I'm not so foolish as to break my word to a Geist. Now if you'll excuse me…?"

He let her leave, and continued on his way to the embassy. When he finally got there a few minutes later, Hannah was waiting for him. The moment he arrived, she strode over to him and slapped him soundly on the cheek.

"God damnit, Johnathan! What the _hell_ were you thinking?! It's bad enough that you had to defy the Council and preserve a Rachni Queen, but you just _had_ to run your mouth off to Sparatus, didn't you?!" She brought her hand back and slapped him again, this time on the opposite cheek. "Where in the hell have you _been_ for the last two weeks?! It took everything I had to convince the Council you hadn't gone _rogue_!"

He stood in place and let her tirade wash over him. When she finished, he explained. "I spent the first week transporting the Rachni Queen to a planet in Alliance space where she can rebuild her civilization. Hackett managed to come up with a location on short notice, and it's far enough out of the way that it won't be accidentally stumbled upon or discovered by the Council. I had to put the ship under a communications blackout and rewire the Normandy's computer so it wouldn't record the location of the Rachni world."

"And after that?" she asked angrily.

He hesitated for a moment. "The admiral asked me to look into the disappearance of a squad of Marines. They were investigating a distress signal when they went dark. When I got there, I found their bodies and equipment, destroyed by a Thresher Maw, just like at Akuze. I was taking the distress beacon back to be analyzed on the Normandy when it exploded and knocked me unconscious. The blast attracted the Maw, and my team managed to kill it without me. I spent the next two days in a coma, recovering from the explosion, and the last three confined to a bed. I still have dermal grafts on under my armor."

As he finished, a look of abject horror and fear came to Hannah's face. She pulled him into a fierce hug and immediately burst into tears. "Oh god! My boy. _My beautiful baby boy_. I'm-"

"Don't apologize." he interrupted, returning her hug. "I deserved it. All of it. I screwed up big time, and I _definitely_ deserve more punishment than I got. I'm just… I'm just happy to see you."

She stood there for another few minutes, silently sobbing in his arms. Eventually, she pulled back and wiped the tears away from her bloodshot eyes. "I can't believe… I almost _lost you_, Johnathan. I spent the last two weeks angry at you, and you almost _died_. And I didn't even know. I swear: I'll never doubt you again."

He laughed slightly. "You _should_ doubt me. A little, at least. Neither of us can do this alone, and I need you at the top of your game. If you're not, I could screw up even bigger." He laughed again, this time louder. "Still, I'm glad Benezia's on our side. Did you see the way she handled Tevos? She reminds me of you."

Hannah smiled slightly. "I guess she does. And I'll admit, seeing Tevos' reaction to being outmaneuvered by _you_, of all people, was _priceless_." she giggled. "Besides what you said to Sparatus, I agree with what you did. Even so, the rest of the Council will need some more convincing."

"That's your job. Mine's to find Saren and send him to hell."


	24. Chapter 20: Hell on Earth

**_Author notes: Sorry about the long wait time on this update. I had a bit of writers block to power through, and FanFiction was giving me some grief uploading the document. As compensation, this chapter's a bit longer than usual (6k words rather than my usual 5k)._**

* * *

Chapter 20: Hell on Earth

When he left the Alliance embassy on the Presidium, the first person Shepard ran into was Benezia, who was heading towards the office he'd just exited.

"Benezia, I wanted to thank you for your help with the Council."

"You're welcome, Johnathan. However, this will _not_ be a repeating occurrence." she said firmly. "You saved my life, my _mind_ from what Sovereign did to me. You also saved my daughter from Saren… and me." Her eyes lowered for a moment in contemplation and regret. "For that, you have my eternal thanks. Even so, what Nihlus said to the Council applies to _you_, as well as to them. You _must_ learn to put aside your Human pride and arrogance if you wish to fight the Reapers. You've already made enemies of the Council, and if you push them any further, _no one_ will be able to avert the consequences."

"I understand that, Benezia. Hopefully… hopefully you can convince them to see reason, before it's too late. And hopefully _I_ can learn from my mistakes."

She shook his hand gently, and moved past him, but before she did, he posed one final question.

"Do you think I made the right decision with the Rachni? Or was _it_ a mistake?"

She hesitated for a long moment before responding. "I don't know. However… given the choice between risking _possible_ destruction by the Rachni at some time in the future, and _not_ having them as another ally in the fight against the Reapers… I would choose the former."

He only nodded as she left. He made his way back to the Normandy, and when he emerged from the airlock, his entire crew was waiting for him in the CIC. They didn't say anything, but then again, they didn't have to. The message was loud and clear: they were with him, to the bitter end.

"Well, I'm sure you've all heard the news." he began. "As far as I'm concerned, nothing's changed. The mission's the same today as it was yesterday, as it _will_ be tomorrow, and every day after until we've succeeded: find Saren, and kill him."

There was a round of nods and murmured agreement, and he finally made up his mind. He was going to have to bite the bullet _sometime_, and now was as good as ever.

"With that said, I think _everyone _could use some time off. So, for the next forty eight hours, we're on shore leave." There was some scattered cheering and applause, which he quieted with a wave of his hand. "Additionally, I'm sure you've all been made aware of my… talents, despite my best efforts to keep them secret." There were chuckles and snickers, and he cast a very pointed glare at Tali, which only caused her to laugh harder. "So… ah fuck it; if you wanna hear me sing _that_ badly, get to the damn cargo hold."

There was a mad dash to the elevator, and even Joker was fairly spry in his step, despite needing Kaidan and Liara to help carry him.

"I still can't believe you're doing this, Commander." he said with a grin. "I never had you pegged as a singing and dancing monkey. Now all we need's one of those street organs, and a cute little outfit with a tin cup."

Shepard resisted the urge to strangle his pilot as he responded. "Be careful what you wish for, Joker. I could suddenly decide to start dancing a waltz, with _you_ in tow."

The smartass wasn't fazed in the slightest. "Sure… if you wanted to piss off your _Spectre_ girlfriend. But hey, be my guest. Normally, I'd pay through the nose to see _that_ kind of entertainment."

Trying and failing to come up with a retort, Shepard ceded the exchange to Joker by walking away, and heading towards his quarters. Despite _hating_ the idea of what he was about to do, he'd still practiced for it. Being forced to sing a song from a classical opera was bad enough, so he'd be damned if he did it _poorly_. He ran through a few quick breathing exercises, followed by a moderate warm up with basic chromatic scales. To a certain extent, his voice felt rusty, having not been used this way in over a year. After a few minutes, he decided that it was time, and he uploaded the orchestral version of the arrangement to the Normandy's com system, before making the ride to the cargo bay.

When he arrived, he involuntarily began analyzing the mostly open space for its' acoustic properties, and realized they were shit. _'Well of _course_ they're shit. This is a damn warship, not a concert hall.'_ Even so, he moved to the best spot available, near the hangar door. As he turned and opened his omnitool to begin the song, he cleared his throat, his mind slipping into autopilot, and he blocked out everything around him.

_"La donna è mobile  
Qual piuma al vento,  
muta d'accento  
e di pensiero._

_Sempre un amabile,_  
_leggiadro viso,_  
_in pianto o in riso,_  
_è menzognero._

_..."_

With four more verses, the song seemed to last for an eternity, despite being less than five minutes in length. When it was over, his crew gave Shepard a round of polite applause, and there was less laughter than he'd expected. He graced them with a small, polite bow in response.

"Encore!" yelled Joker, who was sporting a devilish grin that seemed to stretch from ear to ear.

As much as he loathed admiting it, Shepard actually felt _good_ putting his voice to use again, even if it made him look like a complete jackass. _'Ah, what the hell. Why not?'_ he thought, pulling up one more song on his 'tool and transfering it to the Normandy. Most of the people in the hold were surprised when the music started again, but quickly quieted down when they heard the more subdued and gentle tune that eminated from over their heads.

_"Ave Maria, gratia plena,  
Maria, gratia plena,  
Maria, gratia plena,  
Ave, Ave, Dominus,  
Dominus tecum.  
Benedicta tu in mulieribus, et benedictus,  
Et benedictus fructus ventris tui,  
Ventris tui, Jesus.  
Ave Maria!"_

When the last note of the song faded from the hold, Shepard was greeted with near total silence, which was quickly replaced by a second round of applause, _real_ applause this time, and not a single laugh or chuckle from the peanut gallery.

"That was beautiful, John." said Tali, approaching him slowly from the front of the crowd. "I can't understand why you don't sing more often."

"Singing and shooting people don't really mix too well, most of the time." he replied, looking uncharacteristically embarrassed and rubbing the back of his neck.

"Then you obviously haven't heard Turian war chants." said Garrus, slapping him hard on the shoulder. "I'll admit, I hadn't expected this, when Tali told me you could sing. Still, I guess this is just one more facet of the oddity that is Commander John Shepard." He paused for a moment before continuing. "Along with _almost_ perfect aim."

Shepard didn't even feel the need to retort. "Well… now _that's _over with, why don't we all head to the Citadel? I know this great place for drinks. First round's on me."

* * *

Watching the entire crew of the Normandy enter the moderately small nightclub that was Flux was an interesting sight for Shepard. After all, there were nearly forty people that make the vessel run, and a full quarter of them were on the ground team. As soon as everyone had gotten themselves situated and ordered a drink, he strode to the balcony overlooking the lower floor of the club and motioned his crew for silence.

"To the crew of the Normandy. Finest ship in the galaxy, past, present, or future!" he declared, raising his glass.

"Hear, hear!" they responded, raising theirs as well, before simultaneously partaking in their chosen drink.

With that, the party began in earnest. A good portion of his crew divided themselves amongst the dance floors, where they were joined variously by Kaidan, Liara, Ashley, Nihlus, Garrus, and, surprisingly, Pluribus. The Geth drew quite a few curious and disbelieving glances, at first, but after a moment, he began to flow into a series of moves that were uniquely him: a mixture of jerky, robotic limb movements interspersed with smooth, flowing motions that reminded Shepard of nothing less than liquid metal. Soon enough, the rest of the crowd had all but forgotten about the oddity of a dancing Geth, and went back to their previous activities.

Shepard made his way to a lone table where the rest of his ground crew was situated. For _once_ determined not to let Yuri's presence destroy the good mood, Shepard had had him placed in temporary cryo-sleep aboard the Normandy before they left, where he'd _remain_ for the next two days. Taking a seat between Joker and Tali, across from Wrex at the circular table, Shepard finished the last of his martini before ordering a new one.

"Never really been a guy for parties, Commander." said Joker, downing another draught of beer from a frosted mug. "They normally don't agree with my bones."

"Everyone needs _some_ rest and relaxation, Jeffery." said Chakwas, who appeared to be drinking some kind brandy.

"Jeffery?" asked Tali. "I didn't know your name was Jeffery."

"That's because he doesn't broadcast it, Tali." said Shepard, casting a glance at the somewhat flustered pilot. "After all, Joker sounds a lot more badass than Jeffery Moreau. Didn't you read his dossier?"

"Well… it just never seemed that important." she replied, finishing off her second cocktail and waving for a third.

"Going a bit heavy on the sauce, aren't you Tali?" asked Shepard, who'd barely started in on his second drink. "We can't have you going off the rails _this_ early in the day."

"I don't know what you're talking about." she said defensively, her speech already a little unsteady.

"Really?" he asked impishly. "So you've forgotten what happened when you turned twenty two?"

Shepard was sitting too close to her to dodge the kick to his shin that she sent towards him, though he didn't show any sign on his face when it connected.

"Not one word, John. I'm warning you."

"Is there a story here, Commander?" asked Joker inquisitively.

"Yeah, but I think it's best if I don't say anything… for now, at least." he said with a wink.

"Darn right, you big bosh'tet. You don't shee me spilling all your shecrets." she said, knocking back her third drink.

She waved a waitress over, but Shepard flagged her off. He only now realized it was Rita, from his last excursion at the bar. She gave him a small smile and a third martini, mouthing 'On the house' as she did so. He only nodded.

"What're you doing, John?" Tali pouted. "I'm a big girl. I can handle a few drinksh."

"You might be a Spectre, Quarian, but you don't have the quad for a _real_ drink." said Wrex, downing his _seventh_ shot. "Shepard, try something a _warrior_ celebrates with." he challenged, sliding a Krogan sized shot-glass of liquid over to Shepard. "Ryncol; imported straight from Tuchanka itself."

Shepard eyed the glass warily as he lifted it to his mouth. When it was a few centimeters away from his nose, the vapors immediately started his eyes to watering, and it felt like his nostrils were on fire. Bracing himself for what was sure to be the worst decision he'd made this week, he slammed it back hard and swallowed, before immediately going into an uncontrollable fit of coughing and gasping. He recovered after nearly a half minute, before wheezing out a reply.

"Holy shit. What's in that stuff? Liquid fire?" His vision began to double almost immediately, and he swayed slightly in his seat. Wrex let out a bellowing laugh and quickly downed another glass of his own.

"Not too many Humans that could handle Ryncol, Shepard. Figures you'd be the one who can still speak afterwards."

The crew celebrated like this for nearly a full three hours, though they slowed down on the booze _somewhat_. Near the unofficial end of the party, Shepard found himself on the dance floor, though he wasn't too sure how he got there. The music in the background seemed to pulse with the beating of his heart, and he felt his body respond automatically to the rhythm. He looked down at the figure in front of him, and was startled to see that it was Tali, who'd managed to press herself against him in a rather… suggestive way.

"John…" she breathed. The way she said his name made his pulse quicken, and he suddenly found his arms wrapped around her, as she looked over her shoulder into his eyes. "Let's… go somewh… som…away."

Shepard tried to protest, but couldn't manage to get out a coherent sentence as she all but dragged him out of the club. Most of the trip was a daze, but eventually, he found himself stumbling through the Normandy's airlock, heading towards his quarters with Tali supporting him. Or was he supporting her?

The drunken duo stumbled into Shepard's room, and the moment the door slid shut behind them, Tali whirled and planted a sloppy kiss on his mouth, nearly missing as she did so. It lasted for only a few moments, but when it ended, she dragged him over to his bunk and collapsed onto it, her body sprawled across it lazily.

"Get over here… bosh… boosh… you." she slurred in a sing-song voice. "Gonna teach you to – hic – let some Asari scientist – hic – get into your… you." He moved to join her, but the moment he felt her run a hand across his body, a chill went up his spine.

_'It's the booze talking! Booze! Mind… out… of… _gutter_! Can't… won't… NOPE!'_ he thought furiously. He swallowed hard, then again a second time, shaking his head and trying to clear out the cobwebs. When he looked back down at Tali, he saw she was snoring gently, and he breathed a sigh of relief as he quickly covered her with blankets. _'Shower. Now. Need shower now. Cold, COLD shower.'_

He managed to stumble his way down to the men's showers and somehow got out of his armor before turning on the water. The moment Shepard felt the icy liquid hit his skin, his mind began to clear, and he was able to focus more and more.

_'Damn. That was close. Too close. She'd never forgive me if…'_

He wasn't sure how long he stayed there, but eventually, he began to shiver from the cold, and he turned off the water. His mind was mostly working, though he knew in the back of his head that it wouldn't last. He managed to dry himself, at least for the most part, and don his armor, which was only slightly damp. He walked out of the showers into the cargo hold, when he heard a low, raspy voice.

"C'mere you." It sounded like Ashley, though it came from inside the MIAFV. The rear hatch was closed, and the 'sounds' were coming from the open turret on the roof of the vehicle. There was a brief shuffling sound from inside the tank, and Shepard thought he heard a low growl, though he couldn't be sure what it was from. His curiosity got the better of him, and he crept towards the noise.

He almost fell on his face when Garrus' flanged voice responded. "W-wow. I might h-have r-r-reach, but you have… all the f-flexibility."

_'So that's how it is, huh? Well, considering I had to give them a goddamn extorted _performance_ earlier, I think it's time for a little payback.'_

Shepard opened up his omnitool and typed a short command. Or, it would've been short, if he'd managed it on the first attempt. Trying and failing to ignore the increasingly… _intriguing_ sounds coming from the tank, he finally managed to connect the vehicle's broadcast system to the speakers of the Normandy's intercom… minus the cargo hold, of course. As he rode the elevator up to the crew deck, he felt himself blush up a storm as the volume of the 'activity' going on below increased.

Just as he exited the elevator, Shepard suddenly toppled into the nearest wall, and nearly into unconsciousness, when a _third _voice echoed throughout the ship.

"He might be a hell of a sn-sniper, but I'm a Spectre. My reach is t-twice his." said a different Turian voice, which pretty much narrowed down the possibilities. Shepard's last thought before blissful sleep claimed him was filled with confusion, and no small amount of fear.

_'Oh shit. I'm a dead man.'_

* * *

Pain.

Shepard woke with a start, immediately wincing from the unbelievable throbbing in his skull. He thought he was lying on a bed in the Medbay, despite the fact that there was a small sun a few feet above his head.

"Awake already, Commander?" bellowed Chakwas sarcastically, in a voice that seemed to be louder than an exploding nuke. "It's only been ten hours."

"Not so loud." he moaned in a dull roar.

"You deserve every iota of pain for this, you know?" she screamed. "Still, I suppose I can't fault you for a night of normalcy and enjoyment. I'll get you something for your hangover."

A few moments later, Shepard felt a small prick on his neck, followed by a cooling sensation in his blood. Almost immediately, the pounding in his head diminished from 'Ozzy Osbourne concert' to a more sedate 'jackhammer on steel plate,' and he breathed a sigh of relief.

"Thanks Doc." he mumbled, slowly sitting up. He rubbed his temples in an attempt to quell the remaining pain, and was surprised to find his head bandaged. "Did someone bash me over the head with a frying pan?"

"From the looks of it, you ran face first into a bulkhead. You should've gone to _sleep_ instead of wandering around the ship like a drunken sailor." she chided. "I had to _drag_ you in here like a sack of potatoes."

"Yeah, well my bed was taken at the time." he replied, very carefully rising to his feet.

"So I noticed." she retorted dryly. "I take it that you and Tali didn't-"

"No!" he blurted, far too quickly. "She was drunk, and I just left her there to sleep while I went to take a shower."

"Then how, pray tell, did you end up unconscious outside the elevator after ramming your head into a wall?"

"I…" he struggled to dredge up the memories of the previous night's events. When he did, his eyes went wide with shock. "Oh, shit. I'm a dead man."

"Is there a problem, Shepard?" asked Chakwas concernedly. "You look like you've seen a ghost."

"I… uh… never mind. No problem." he said with a nervous laugh. "I'm gonna get some chow." He turned suddenly and all but ran for the door, leaving a bewildered Chakwas behind him. Immediately when he entered the cafeteria, he saw Tali and Pluribus sitting in the small mess, Tali slowly eating her dextro rations while cradling her head. Shepard quickly grabbed a levo ration pack for himself before joining her. The pair sat there in rather awkward silence for a few minutes before Shepard finally broke the ice.

"So, how'd you enjoy sleeping in a real bed, Tali?"

Tali responded to the question like she'd been pinched, and she jumped suddenly. "It was… soft." She hesitated a few moments. "Did we… you know… do it?" she asked with a furious blush.

"Nope." Shepard responded immediately. "We stumbled in there completely plastered, but you fell asleep almost immediately. I… took a shower. A _cold_ shower."

"Oh… Well, I suppose that's for the best." she replied, the barest hint of disappointment in her voice.

"Yeah. Maybe… maybe someday. But only when we're ready." said Shepard with a small smile.

She blushed even harder, if that was possible. "Can we… not talk about this?"

"Sure." Turning to Pluribus, Shepard changed the subject. "I saw you at the party, Pluribus. Not that I'm complaining, but why'd you show up?"

"We thought it would be an… enlightening experience. Recreational activity is not a part of normal Geth operating procedure. It was… fun."

"Fun?" asked Tali. "I didn't know Geth could _have_ fun. Still, it's nice that you joined us, Pluribus."

Shepard opened his mouth to speak, but the words died on his tongue when he saw Ashley and Nihlus enter the cantina. They picked up their respective ration packs, and silently sat on opposite ends of the table from one another, pointedly avoiding eye contact. Tali was oblivious to their body language, but Pluribus studied each of them quickly, his optic constricting slightly. A moment later, Garrus walked into the room as well, and made a beeline for the food.

"Williams Sergeant." began Pluribus. "We have managed to formulate an answer to your inquiry."

"What?" she asked blearily, digging into her rations.

"Based on their respective heights and builds, we calculate that Vakarian Detective has a significantly longer reach than Kryik Spectre."

As soon as the words left the synthetic's 'mouth,' there was a loud crash of metal on metal as Garrus tripped over his own feet and went tumbling to the floor. Nihlus choked on his food, despite it being nothing but paste, and Tali had to slap him several times on the back to get him breathing again. Ashley's face turned an unbelievably vibrant shade of crimson as she blushed to match a sun. "Wh-what?" she stammered.

"You broadcast repeated queries over the ship's intercom system early this morning between 0114 and 0336 hours." he replied bluntly. "We thought it prudent to allow you to recuperate before answering your question."

"_Intercom!?_" she shrieked. When he didn't respond, Ashley suddenly let out a nervous and relieved laugh. "Oh thank god. I thought you were serious for a moment there. Damn Geth humor." she grumbled.

"We _were_ serious." he responded, sounding confused. "Shepard Commander connected the broadcast system of the Multi Infantry Adaptable Fighting Vehicle to the Normandy's intercom, and we heard your inquiries."

Both Turians and the now mortified and enraged soldier turned murderous gazes towards Shepard, who could only stutter apprehensively. "Best served cold?" he asked with a nervous laugh. The instant before any of them could reach him, _or _one of their many weapons, Shepard activated his chronosuit and found himself standing on top of the Normandy, outside the ship. He cast a quick glance around the area before deactivating his direction finder and deciding to make a run for C-Sec headquarters, then onto the lower wards.

_'And Nihlus is a _Spectre_. He actually_ could_ kill me for this.__ Fuck me.'_

* * *

It took most of a day for Shepard to convince his three victims not to rip him to pieces when he got back to the ship, which meant his shore leave was basically shot. When he finally _did_ get back, he found himself instinctively falling back on his Geist and N7 training, constantly keeping his eyes open for a potential ambush. Just as he was about to enter the Normandy's airlock, he was stopped by a reporter. He sighed internally, figuring he knew what this was about.

_'Now I've got to explain to the entire Alliance how I managed to get my idiotic ass kicked out of the Spectres while on the most important mission of my carrier. Fuck me sideways.'_

"Commander Shepard! Emily Wong, Alliance News Network." she said, introducing herself. "I was wondering if you had time for a few questions regarding your recent activities."

"I suppose. Understand that most of what I do is classified, though."

"Classified?" she asked with a smirk. "Doesn't seem very classified to me, but if you say so..." Shepard barely managed to suppress his surprise at her tone as she pulled up a recording suite on her omnitool. "Now then: what's your opinion on your newfound notoriety?"

"Well, I'm not really _that_ notable." he replied, trying and failing to comprehend what she was talking about.

"Such modesty." she said. "Still, I suppose it must be quite a shock, having accumulated fourteen million extranet hits in less than a day. Do you have any plans for the immediate future?"

"Fourteen million?" he asked incredulously. "I didn't realize it'd gotten that much attention."

"Well, considering your obvious natural talent, I'm a bit surprised it didn't happen sooner. There've been rumors that Expel 10 was interested in recruiting you. Do you intend to retire from the military and pursue a civilian carrier, or stick with the Alliance?"

"OK, hold up a minute. I think we're having two different conversations here. What exactly are you referring to?"

Wong looked a bit astonished at his question. "You mean you don't know? The video of your performance of '_Ave Maria_' is one of the fastest spreading vids on the 'net. Where've you _been_ for the last twenty four hours?"

Shepard felt his jaw drop when she said the name of the song. _'Ave Maria!? How the hell did…?'_ "JOKER!" Wong jumped at his sudden outburst, but he hardly noticed. "That sonuvabitch uploaded that to the _extranet_?!" he asked incredulously.

"You mean you didn't even _know_ that you're on the path to stardom?"

"_Stardom_?!" he asked with wide eyes. He quickly refocused his attention towards the matter at hand. "Excuse me Miss Wong, but I've got some _business_ to take care of." he said, trying to keep his tone neutral. "I'll be sure to give you a more detailed interview some other time." She tried to stop him, but Shepard was already in the airlock. The moment it opened, he stormed to the cockpit with murderous intent.

"**_JOKER!_**_ YOU'RE A DEAD MAN WALKING!_"

The pilot spun quickly in his seat, and he was wearing a set of Groucho glasses. "Calm down, Commander. You wouldn't hit a guy with glasses, would ya?"

Shepard teetered over the line from burning rage to cold fury as he responded. "Hit? No." The pilot donned a nervous smile, but it fled screaming when Shepard's rage returned, hotter than ever. "_MURDER?! **YES!**_"

Shepard lunged for his pilot before feeling a strong grip clamp down on his right shoulder, near the base of his neck. A moment later, there was blackness.

* * *

Shepard once again found himself waking up in the Normandy's Medbay, though this time it was without the hangover induced headache, or _any_ kind of headache, really. The only person in the room was Chakwas, and she spun to face him as he rose.

"This is becoming a habit for you, Commander. I'd almost believe you were going out of your way to spend time with me."

"Vlery flunny, Klarink." he replied automatically. When his brain finished processing what he'd just said, or more specifically, _how_ he'd said it, he groaned. "Goth damn Vluculan neck pinth."

Chakwas giggled slightly. "You deserved it, Commander. It took some doing to convince Ashley not to murder you in your sleep. Couldn't you at _least_ have turned the intercom _off_ before you passed out?"

"I almosht brooke a wall wish my face!" he retorted.

His speech only made her giggle harder. "Perhaps I should ask Pluribus to teach me how to do that… maneuver. It would help with some of my more… _unruly_ patients." she said with a pointed look.

"Oh, hla hla. How longth ish this goingk to lasht?"

"Oh, a few hours at most, I'd say." Her tone switched from light to serious in an instant. "In the meantime, you've a message from Admiral Hackett. Something about the missing Marines you located last week. Tali had Joker set a course for the Voyager cluster while you were out."

Shepard scowled, but stood and made his way to the CIC to check the message. He found the communique she'd been talking about, and his scowl deepened when he read it. Rear Admiral Kohoku had gone missing a few days ago while he was investigating the source behind his S&amp;R team's disappearance, a group calling itself Cerberus. His last reported location was on Binthu, in the Yangtze system, which was less than two hours out at their present speed. Shepard called his team together for a briefing when he finished reading, and in a few minutes, they were situated.

"OK, here'sh the sthituation. Rear Athmiral Kohoku wensh mishingk a few daysh ago, and we're healded to hish lasht known locationk." His entire team started laughing at his ridiculous speech, and he almost couldn't blame them. _Almost_. His voice got hard and cold as he continued. "Damnish! Thish ish serioush. You can mock mle lather. We need to hith the planeth gunningk if we wanth to find Kohoku. For now, _flocus!_"

That shut them up quickly, and they began to listen again. "What's the plan, John?" asked Tali, still fighting back a smile.

"Shree facilitiesh, shree theams. Me, Liara, and Ash, theam one. Thali, you thake Plurbush, Yuri, and Garrush on theam thu. Nihlus, take Wrex and Kaidank on theam shree. Luke and load, people."

A short while later, the respective members of each team had chrono'd to their targets, and Shepard's vocal _impairment_ was finally gone. The facilities they appeared in were heavily defended with automatic turrets, but they teams had bypassed them by transporting directly inside their respective targets. The facility Shepard's team appeared in was protected by a handful of personnel, but they hadn't been expecting company, and they were quickly overwhelmed. Before the last one fell, she deactivated the containment field in the center of the large room, and the three man squad found themselves being swarmed by Thorian creepers, which were also quickly dispatched. In the center of the holding cell, Shepard saw something that caught his eye.

"Looks like these Cerberus bastards decided to dispose of someone by dumping them in with their experiments." said Shepard. He moved over to examine the disfigured corpse, and his heart sank when he recognized it. "Fuck. It's Kohoku."

Ashley joined moved to his side at the announcement, but quickly averted her eyes when she saw the state of the Admiral's body. "Murdering bastards." she spat. "Not only did they lure an entire squad of good men to their deaths, they killed Kohoku when he got too close to figuring them out. Son of a _bitch!_"

"They've done a lot worse than that, Ash. They're behind Akuze as well." She cast him a heated glance, still angry at him for his not-so-harmless prank, but her eyes softened when he mentioned the clusterfuck of a mission from his past. Shepard bent down and quickly searched the remains, retrieving one of the admiral's dog tags as he did so. He also found an OSD, which he quickly opened with his omnitool and examined. "It looks like he managed to find some intel on the people who're behind all this. It says here they've got a second base in a nearby system. Chances are, we tipped them off by attacking this one. We need to get there and catch them before they slip away."

"Roger that, Skipper. Let's get back to the Normandy."

The other two groups hadn't found anything significant in their searches of the other facilities, and Shepard had Joker plot a course for the nearby Colombia system. One short briefing later, as well as a quick thirty minute flight, and the Normandy was in orbit above Nepheron. His entire team joined him in the assault on the facility, and they tore through the merc defenders like a blowtorch through butter. When they reached the back of the building, Tali hacked the base's computer and retrieved the data on it, encrypted as it was.

"We need to get this to the Alliance. They can do a better job of decrypting it than I can." she said.

"Right." agreed Shepard. "Let's get out of here."

Once they were back aboard the Normandy, Shepard contacted Hackett and apprised him of the situation. When he finished explaining and uploading the data, the admiral got a pensive look on his face.

"This might be connected to a different case we've been investigating. If Cerberus is behind what happened at Akuze, it might explain why someone's been eliminating the scientists stationed there."

"Scientists?" asked Shepard.

"Classified project: need to know only, sorry Shepard." he replied, shaking his head. "Still, this might be of personal interest to you, considering. The last scientist still alive is a man named Wayne, last spotted on Ontarum, in the Kepler Verge. I'll send you the details. Hackett out."

One day, and one briefing, later, Shepard found himself on yet another planet, about to assault a base with Ashley, Tali, and Nihlus. When they arrived, they were greeted by five mercenaries, who Shepard quickly dispatched from range with his Perch on the MIAFV. Leaving Ashley to watch the vehicle, the three commandos entered the base and tore their way through three times their number in mercs, before finally making it to the rear of the building. When Shepard walked through the last door, he was met with the sight of the mercenary leader holding a scientist at gunpoint.

"Stay back!" he yelled, leveling a heavy pistol at the terrified scientist. "I've got no grief with you! All I want is this bastard!"

"Please! He's crazy!" cried the scientist, briefly glancing at Shepard before returning his gaze to the merc. "Mr. Toombs, you're insane! You need help!"

Shepard felt his jaw drop as he suddenly recognized the mercenary. "Toombs? Corporal Toombs? I thought you were dead." he asked incredulously.

"Shepard?" asked Toombs, equally stunned. "My god, Shepard, is that you?"

"I saw the Thresher Maw pull you under at Akuze, Toombs! What happened?"

"They _took_ me, Shepard. The _scientists_." he replied, filling his voice with scorn.

"You can't prove that!" retorted the scientist. "This man is delusional!"

"Shut the fuck up, before I kill you myself." ordered Shepard angrily.

"They were running tests on the Thresher Maws. They let those _things_ hit us, just to _watch_ and _study_." spat Toombs. His voice took on a more broken tone as he continued, and Shepard could feel his sincerity and pain. "I woke up in a holding cell. The scientists were delighted I'd survived. Now they had someone to run _tests_ on."

"Toombs… I swear, I didn't know. I didn't see anybody. If I'd seen anyone, I'd have come back for you, I swear."

"You can't believe Toombs!" protested the scientist. "He doesn't have any proof! I demand a fair trial!"

Shepard felt his rage build to an unimaginable degree at the man's words. He ripped into his mind, and didn't have to look far to see the ugly truth.

"_Trial?!_" bellowed Shepard, now completely enraged. "_You sick MOTHERFUCKER! Here's you goddamn **TRIAL!**_" Shepard whipped out his pistol and put five rounds into the scientists head, continuing to fire even as he sprawled on the ground. The rest of the people in the room took a step away from the incensed Commander, though Toombs looked more shocked at his anger than his actions.

"John… what… what was _that_?" asked Tali fearfully.

"Toombs is telling the truth." replied Shepard, finally lowering his pistol. "I'm absolutely _sure_ of it. That was the _least_ of what that motherfucker deserved." He faced his old squad mate. "Toombs, I couldn't let you do it. You're not like that. Tali and Nihlus have Spectre authority, so they can cover for what I just did. Let me help you, Toombs. It's… it's the least I can do."

Toombs only looked at him numbly. "Yeah. You're right. They couldn't make me a murderer. Thanks, Shepard."

"I'll have the Fifth Fleet pick you up, Toombs. We'll get you the help you need." He turned to leave, but Tali stopped him with a hand on his shoulder.

"John…"

"I know, Tali. I know."


	25. Chapter 21: Blitzkrieg und Verteidigung

Chapter 21: Blitzkrieg und Treu Verteidigung

"John, we need to talk."

"Not now, Tali."

"Yes_ now_, damnit." she growled, dragging him from his place at the CIC to his cabin and locking the door. "John, you just… you _murdered_ a man down there. Maybe he deserved it, maybe it _was_ justified, but you still _executed_ an unarmed man for no other reason than-"

"Than he tortured Toombs!" interjected Shepard. "He and his- his _scientist_ buddies kept him in a cage! For _years_! I _saw_ what they did to him, Tali. He was my subordinate, my squad mate, my _friend_, and those twisted FREAKS _used_ him like he was some kind of lab animal!"

Tali paused for a moment as she considered how to address her closest friend. "Why?"

"I…" He faltered. "I don't know. But it doesn't matter."

"Yes it does, John." she replied quietly. "Whether or not he deserved it is _beside_ the point." Shepard shot her a confused and angry look as she explained. "We don't know why those scientists did what they did. We'll _never_ know, now that they're all dead. We know Cerberus is behind it, just like they were on Edolus, but we don't know _who_, or _how_, or _why_. More than likely, those scientists were nothing but pawns, just like Toombs. Because of what you did, the people who're _truly_ responsible for what happened to him can wash their hands of this and walk away with no consequences."

Shepard withered as she spoke, unable to find a flaw in her unassailable logic. "You're right." he said simply. "I guess I should've looked before I leapt."

"That exactly my point, John. You _never_ look before you leap. You detonated a _tactical nuclear warhead_ on a _colony planet_ because you didn't think first. You got your _Spectre status stripped _because you didn't think first. And now, you might never be able to get justice, _true justice_, for a man you call 'friend' because you didn't. Think. First."

As she punctuated the last words, Shepard shrank even further. "What can I do? I can't change who I am overnight."

"No." she admitted finally. "No, you can't. And in some ways, I almost wish you wouldn't. I _meant_ it when I said I loved you as you were when… Well, the point is, I think Humans have a proverb for this: 'A journey of a thousand miles begins with a single step.' You just need to _take_ that first step, John. That's all I ask."

"One step, huh?" he asked with a small smile. "How hard can that be?"

"Considering this is _you_ we're talking about?" she said, rolling her eyes. "About as hard as your thick skull."

"That's impossible." he retorted automatically. "If my skull weren't the strongest material known to man, you'd have fractured it a thousand times over by now."

She only responded with a light rap on the back of his head.

* * *

"Commander, there's an incoming call from the Council."

"I'll take it in the briefing room, Joker."

He hesitated for a moment. "It's for Tali."

Shepard let out a grim chuckle. "Figures. I'll still take it in the briefing room." Shepard turned to Tali. "You ready for this, oh fearless leader?" he asked with a hint of sarcasm.

"I guess so." She took a deep breath to steady herself. "Let's go." It was a fairly quick trip to the briefing room for the duo, and when they'd arrived, a group of five holograms appeared in their usual place. "Councilors." began Tali.

"Tali'Zorah, Commander Shepard." replied Raan. "We've just obtained some vital information in your hunt for Saren."

Valern cast Shepard a disapproving glance as he elaborated. "Yes. We've received an urgent message from one of our infiltration teams in the Traverse. This particular regiment was gathering intel on Saren."

"Did they find something?" asked Tali.

"Unfortunately, their transmission was little more than static." replied the Salarian. "The team must be in a situation where they can't set up proper interstellar communications. For whatever reason, their QEC was lost or disabled. However, their message _was_ sent on a channel reserved for mission-critical communications, so we know it's important."

"Salarian STG bit off more than they can chew, huh?" asked Shepard with a sigh. "Why does that not surprise me?" The moment the words left his mouth, Shepard knew he'd fucked up, and Tali let him know it too. The slap she delivered to the back of his head was strong enough to make his ears ring, and it sent him stumbling forward a step before he caught himself.

"Shut the hell up, John." she said tightly. "First step, remember?"

"Yes, ma'am." he replied, averting his eyes.

The exchange elicited a small round of chuckles from the Council, especially Hannah, who began grinning ear to ear.

Tevos spoke next. "Considering your mission, we thought you might want to investigate. Find out what happened to the team. The signal originated on the planet Virmire, in the Hoc System."

"We'll look into it immediately, Councilors." said Tali, turning to face them.

"The Council prefers not to become involved in the specifics of Spectre affairs. We only want you to be aware of all your options." said the Asari.

"Good luck, John." said Hannah. "We'll let you know if anything else comes up."

The moment the holograms winked out, Tali sent a second forceful slap into the back of Shepard's head, though he'd managed to brace himself for this one. "Damnit, John! We _just_ talked about this _five_ _minutes ago_!"

"I know, alright. I know. It just slipped out. I'm sorry."

Her anger faded slightly. "Well. See that it doesn't happen again." she said with a sniff. "Next time, I won't be so gentle."

"That's fine by me." he replied with a sly grin. "I like it rough." He managed to duck the slap she sent at him in response. "Apparently, so do you." he teased with a laugh. He continued dodging her blows, which came ever faster, and her face turned a darker shade of violet. "Sorry, Tali. You're gonna have to be a _lot_ more flexible than that if you want to hit me." There was a beat. "You could ask Ash for advice in that department."

She finally gave up being subtle, and sent them both to the ground with a full body tackle, pinning his arms and inadvertently straddling him. The pair paused for a moment to catch their breaths, and when they did, Shepard gave Tali an appraising look, running his eyes down her form. The moment she realized the compromising position she'd put them in, she let out a small squeak, and nearly leapt off of his prone body.

"You… you big bosh'tet." she said panting.

"Hey, you attacked me." He donned another shit-eating grin, refusing to let up. "Not that I'm complaining, or anything. It's just that you got me all hot and bothered, and left me wanting more." She choked and sputtered, unable to form a coherent word, let alone a sentence. Her face turned so dark it was almost more black than purple. He finally relented. "Well, that was fun, but we've got work to do." He climbed to his feet, and then extended a hand to help her up as well. "I'll let Joker know to set a course for Virmire."

* * *

The trip to Virmire took just over three days. When the Normandy finally dropped out of FTL, they were met with a welcome response, as well as an unwelcome surprise.

"Commander, there's a signal coming from the planet." said Joker. "I think it's our Salarian infiltration team. They're transmitting rendezvous coordinates."

"_Damn_ those are some heavy defenses." said Kaidan, moving to stand beside Shepard in the cockpit of the frigate. "Partial PRISM sat network, psy-radar, gap generator, and they've even got AA batteries all over the surface. The whole damn planet's a fortress. How the hell did the Salarians manage to get a strike team through that?"

"Very carefully, I imagine." deadpanned Shepard. "That damn psy-radar's gonna make this tough. Joker, can you find us a landing point for the MIAFV? I've got an idea."

"What's the problem, Shepard?" asked Garrus. "The ship's stealthed. We can just slip on by and chrono to the surface, right?"

"Unfortunately, no. The Normandy's stealth systems are composed of two parts: the first is a gap generator that makes us invisible to passive psy-radar. The second hides our EM signature from external sensors. Unless someone actually looks out a damn window from close range, they can't see us. However, if we use the ship's chronosphere, the active psy-radar they've got will pick us up for about ten seconds."

"Ten seconds?" he asked sounding puzzled. "So what? We'll be gone before they even know we're here."

Shepard shook his head. "Garrus, when the Hierarchy attacked Rapture during the Contact War, over _half_ of a one thousand ship _armada_ was destroyed in less than ten seconds by its' planetary defense grid. As small as it is, that PRISM defense net will _easily_ vaporize the Normandy before she can so much as twitch."

Garrus' jaw dropped, his mandibles spread, and he gaped in unabashed shock at the revelation. "Ten titans-be-damned _seconds_?!" He shivered for a moment before composing himself. "Spirits. No wonder we surrendered so quickly. The Alliance could've overrun the whole damn _galaxy_ in a few years with that kind of power."

"Not quite." replied Kaidan, trying to placate the Turian. "Keep in mind that they got ambushed by a waiting defense grid: a complete grid at that. Our ships don't possess anywhere _near_ that kind of firepower. Even knowing what they were walking into, the entirety of the Alliance _fleet_ couldn't break through the defenses in the Sol System. In truth, we've always been better at defending than attacking."

If anything, Kaidan's revelation just upset Garrus even more. "Your whole _fleet_?! So you're saying…" he paused for a moment before swallowing hard. "You're saying we _never_ could've won the Contact War?" he asked dejectedly.

"There are no winners in Human wars, Garrus." explained Shepard. "Only survivors. That's been the foundation of Human military doctrine for over two centuries."

"I…" He trailed off.

"Look Garrus. It's not like we're interested in destroying the Council or the Hierarchy. One of Earth's greatest leaders, a man who died nearly a quarter of a millennia ago, once said that we should 'speak softly, and carry a big stick.' Basically, just don't mess with us, and we won't mess with you."

"Fair enough, Shepard." He brightened considerably. "Now, how do you plan on getting us to the surface?"

"We won't be able to get close enough to land with all those AA batteries down there. We'll come in low, in atmo, and approach tangential to the planet. We need to get close enough to chrono the MIAFV down to the surface while being far enough away to avoid PRISM fire and ack-ack. It'll be like threading a needle, but Joker might be able to do it."

"_Might_?!" shrieked the offended pilot. "Might my ass. I could fly this thing though a tailor shop without nudging a pin." he grumbled.

"Glad to hear it, Joker." said Shepard with a smirk. "And on the bright side, if you screw it up, we won't live long enough to regret it."

"Can we all fit in the MIAFV, Commander?" asked Kaidan.

"Not unless you want to be squeezed in there like sardines in a can. Remember how tight it was back on Therum? If we hadn't been half a minute away from being broiled by a volcano, we'd have been hard pressed to fit. Besides, do you really want to be cooped up in that damn thing cheek-by-jowl with _Yuri_?"

Kaidan let out a small shiver. "Definitely not."

"Didn't think so. For now, it'll be me, Tali, Ashley, Liara, and Wrex. You, Garrus, Yuri, Pluribus, and Nihlus can come down after we take out some of the AA batteries and open up a safe landing zone."

* * *

"Alright, we're gonna change things up a little for this one. Wrex, I want you up front. As heavily defended as the rest of the planet is, we've got no idea what's waiting for us down there. Whatever we find, you blow it up."

"Sounds good to me." replied the Krogan.

"Liara, I want you in the middle. I'm expecting heavy fire, so I want you on barrier duty for now. Don't stress yourself, but keep an eye out for anything that could do damage."

"I understand, Shepard."

"I'll take up the rear and deal with anything else. Tali, be ready to switch out with me if needed." She only nodded.

"Ash, you're driving again, and this time, no crazy stunts like on Noveria."

"Roger that, Skipper."

"Let's do this."

A few moments later, the tank appeared on the surface of the planet in a shallow lagoon, and began rolling forward. The first half kilometer or so was quiet, but the Geth on the planet soon made themselves known. A wave of rocket drones and assault platforms appeared, but were quickly eliminated by fire from Shepard's Perch. A second wave of drones and platforms soon followed, this time behind hastily erected omni-shields. They didn't last long either. Rounding a final corner, Shepard had just enough time for a single deep breath and widened eyes before the Tesla tower on the enemy fortification sent a blast of lightning into Liara's barriers, which immediately shattered from the assault.

"TESLA TOWER!" yelled Shepard, swinging his Perch towards the new threat. A Tesla tower could cripple the MIAFV with a single blast, and outright destroy it with two. The biotic barrier bought them a window of opportunity, but only a three second one. Shepard's well placed anti-material round blew a hole through the center support of the defensive tower, dissipating it's charge, and a moment later, Wrex's PRISM Cannon finished the job, vaporizing the structure at its' weakened middle.

A blast of lighting striking her barriers had put a massive amount of strain on Liara, and she swayed slightly in her seat as she recovered. "What was that?" she asked weakly.

"Fucking Tesla tower." answered Shepard angrily. "Where in the _hell_ did Saren get the plans for one of those damn things? The Alliance might not _use_ Tesla towers anymore, but the tech should still be classified."

"Why don't they use them?" asked Tali.

"PRISM towers have a greater range and lower recharge time." answered Ashley, a little out of breath. "Thank Christ for that. If that was a PRISM tower, we'd be dead."

Shepard let out a low growl. "However Saren managed to get ahold of Alliance tech, it's not good. If he's started outfitting his heretic Geth with our stuff, we're gonna have a hell of a time in this assault. And any others." He shook his head. "For now, focus on what's in front of us. We need to clear that structure and disable the AA battery it's connected to. Tali, Wrex, with me."

The trio quickly made their way through the small structure, eliminating a handful of platforms as they progressed. On the second floor, a small console controlled the activity of the AA emplacement for the outpost, and a quick hack by Tali put it out of business for good.

"You two, get back to the MIAFV and man the turrets." ordered Shepard. "I'll move out on foot and stick to the rock formations to scout ahead. If there are any more surprises, I'll let you know."

"Alright, John. Just… be careful, OK."

"I will, don't you worry about it."

Activating his chronosuit, Shepard appeared suddenly on the top of the rock formation the structure was built into. Peering over the side of the almost sheer cliff, Shepard saw a Geth Colossus waiting in ambush for the approaching vehicle.

"Tali, there's a Colossus around the next bend."

"Understood."

The moment the MIAFV rounded the corner, a beam of white light lanced out from it and blew a hole straight through the waiting Colossus. Shepard quickly moved on ahead, and radioed in the locations of a dozen platforms, half a dozen smaller walkers, and a second Colossus, all of which his team managed to eliminate with relative ease. As he neared the end of the rise, Shepard saw the telltale outline of a Tesla tower appear on a second fortification in the distance.

"Tali, there's another outpost and Tesla tower ahead. It's at your two o'clock, high. You'll be in range in about a hundred meters." The tank slowed in response to his warning, and crept up towards the defensive line. The biotic barrier around the vehicle increased in intensity, and the moment the tower was in range, a blast of PRISM energy blew it to atoms.

"Good job. Clear the structure while I go on ahead. I see snipers, so watch yourselves."

Shepard progressed beyond the structure, moving forward until he came to an open expanse of shallow water, with a large, building sized outcropping of stone in the middle

"John, it looks like I can access the controls to the psy-radar system from here. If I shut it down, the satellite network will be blind. I've also managed to knock out another AA battery, which opened up a small gap in their defenses."

"Good. Joker, you can start your approach now. The defense grid should be down in a minute."

"Roger that, Commander."

Shepard surveyed the area below with a trained eye, watching for further roving Geth patrols. At first, he didn't see anything unusual, but as the MIAFV came into view in the distance behind him, a nagging feeling appeared in his gut. There was something off about the area ahead, but he couldn't put his finger on it. Pulling out his sniper rifle, he peered through the scope, trying to get a closer view of the clearing below. A few seconds before the tank rounded the last corner, Shepard saw something inexplicable.

'_The waves aren't breaking on that rock formation correctly. It's the size of a damn building, but it's like it's not… really…'_

"_**DOOM FORTRESS!**_" bellowed Shepard into his communicator. The MIAFV came to a screeching halt just in range of the Mirage-concealed super-tank, and the massive triple blast from the Fortress's main guns obliterated the rock formation behind it, the massive, half meter shells passing directly though the spot the much smaller scout vehicle _would've_ been, had Shepard not warned them. Unfortunately, what was left of the rock face immediately began to collapse towards the MIAFV, which barely survived the avalanche of boulders and debris due to Liara's barrier. The vehicle immediately went into reverse to escape being crushed and pulled a quick one-eighty, beating a hasty retreat.

While this was happening, the Doom Fortress began rumbling its' way forward, looking to destroy, it not outright _crush_, the much tinier tank. Knowing there was no way the smaller vehicle could win the David versus Goliath fight using normal methods, Shepard did something incredibly stupid. Scrambling to his feet, he quickly pulled out his Temporal Dislocator before activating his chronosuit and teleporting to a spot _directly on top_ of the charging metal bunker. He activated the Dislocator the instant he arrived, and a familiar stream of chronitons emanated forth, slowly erasing the Fortress from existence. After nearly five minutes of continuous exposure, the super-tank vanished with a final flash, lost forever in the mists of time.

Unfortunately, Shepard hadn't had time to think about what would happen when his foothold in the sky suddenly vanished beneath him. The moment it did, he began plummeting to the shallow water below, and had just enough time to twist in midair and land on his back before he impacted the surface and his consciousness fled.

* * *

Pain.

The pain was followed quickly by an extensive mental litany of the vilest curses Shepard could imagine, in every language he knew, and even some he didn't.

"No offense Doc, but I'm really starting to loathe this place." he groaned as he opened his eyes.

"Then maybe you should be more careful next time, Commander." she replied.

"And maybe you should look before you leap, you big, stupid, thickheaded _bosh'tet_." scolded Tali, moving to stand over his prone form. Without waiting for a response, she bent down and wrapped her hands firmly around his head, pulling him into a long, solid kiss. She pulled away quickly before continuing, tears beginning to form in her eyes. "You just had to be a big, damn hero, didn't you?" She kissed him again, longer this time. "You charged a _Doom Fortress_ by _yourself_." Another kiss, longer still. "What the hell is wrong with you?" Another, and she shook him slightly. "Do you _want_ to die?" Another, and more shaking. "Do you want to leave me alone?" Another, and the shaking turned to trembling. "I won't let you." Another. "I won't." Another. "I WON'T!"

When she bent down for another, Shepard wrapped his arms around her, and pulled her into a strong embrace, returning the kiss fully. After what felt like an eternity and an instant, it ended, and Chakwas cleared her throat loudly, fighting back a massive grin. "Now now, Miss Zorah, I can't have my patient getting his blood pressure too high. The concussion he suffered still isn't fully healed."

Tali let out a long, exasperated sigh as she pulled away from Shepard. "Fine. We'll talk about this later, John." She winked at him slyly and donned a massive, knowing smile. "We'll talk _long_, and _hard_, and… _privately_."

Chakwas let out an amused snort before spinning in her chair. "Young people these days, I swear." she muttered.

"Now Karin, no talking about this, understand?" asked Shepard, a little breathlessly. "Doctor patient-privilege and all that."

"Of course, Commander. Whatever you say." she smirked.

Rising slowly from the bed, Shepard was assaulted by a familiar pain in his head. "What happened while I was out?"

"The Normandy landed and we made contact with the Salarian STG team. We're on the surface of Virmire, but we can't leave because of increased AA activity. The Salarian leader, Captain Kirrahe, is waiting to speak with you."

Shepard nodded, and the Quarian and Human pair quickly exited the ship through the cargo bay, before crossing the shallow lagoon towards the Salarian base camp. Ashley was conversing with one of the Salarians, who Shepard assumed was the leader, and most of his team members were milling about the area.

"Captain Kirrahe?" he asked, extending his hand. "Commander Shepard, ASV Normandy."

"Captain Kirrahe, Third Infiltration Regiment, STG." he responded, shaking his hand. "You managed to land in a hot zone, and every AA gun within fifteen kilometers has been alerted to your presence. I'm just surprised you made it past the outer defenses. Still, I guess you can help us hold the line until the Council sends us the reinforcements we requested."

Shepard quirked an eyebrow at him. "Sorry to tell you this, but we _are_ the reinforcements. Your signal was garbled, and they sent us to investigate. We can request a task force, but it'll be four or five days before they get here."

"_Investigate_." he asked, clearly annoyed. "That's a repetition of our task. We'd need a sizeable fleet to break the defenses here, or a small army to assault the base. I've lost half my men _investigating_ this place. And that delay is too long."

"Whoa, slow down. Walk me through this, step by step."

The Salarian sighed audibly. "Saren is using this planet as his base of operations. It's crawling with Geth, and extremely well-fortified. We need to destroy it as soon as possible."

"Is Saren here?" asked Kaidan.

"No, but he's using the planet as a research and development facility."

"Researching what, exactly?" inquired Shepard.

"He's using the facility to breed an army of Krogan."

"_What_?!" interjected Wrex, moving to confront the Salarian. "How is that possible?"

"Apparently, Saren has discovered a cure for the Genophage." replied Kirrahe neutrally.

"Fuck." muttered Shepard. "If Saren gets the backing of an army of Krogan, he'll be damn difficult to deal with, even for the Alliance."

"My thought exactly." replied the Salarian. "We must ensure this facility and its' secrets are destroyed."

"Destroyed?" growled Wrex. "My people are _dying_, you worthless little pyjak. You're not destroying anything."

"If that cure leaves this planet, the Krogan will be all but unstoppable. We can't make the same mistake again."

Shepard sensed a burst of white-hot rage from the Krogan Battlemaster, and he held out a hand to stop Wrex from doing anything rash. "The only _mistake_ the Salarians made was not uplifting the Krogan's culture and society when they uplifted their military." retorted Shepard heatedly. "You turned an entire _species_ into weapons of war. Pretending to be surprised when they continued doing what _you_ taught them to do is the _height_ of arrogance and hypocrisy."

Shepard felt Wrex's anger fade as he spoke, but Kirrahe's rose. "Is this going to be a problem, Human? Regardless of how you feel, the fact is, we can't allow Saren to possess such a dangerous tool as the Krogan. We've no _choice_ but to destroy this facility."

Wrex said nothing, but slowly walked away to stand near the water's edge. He drew his shotgun and began sending blast after blast into the sea. Seeing him walk off, Tali turned to Shepard. "John, we need to discuss this. You, me, Nihlus, _and_ Wrex."

"What makes you think you can make this decision?" asked Kirrahe heatedly.

Shepard's response was ice cold. "The fact I've got the starship, the tank, QECs, Alliance tech, two Spectres, ten tactical nukes, and psychic powers." He took a single half-step towards the Salarian, and Kirrahe took the same half-step back. "I'm calling the shots here. _We'll_ talk this over, and let you know what _we_ decide."

Waving for Nihlus to follow, Shepard and Tali made their way down the beach to where Wrex was blowing off steam, both literally and figuratively.

"This isn't right, Shepard." said Wrex, not even bothering to face him as he put another blast into the shallow water of the lagoon. "If there's a cure for the Genophage, we can't destroy it."

"Wrex, we can't let Saren use this to get an army of Krogan on his side. You _know_ this." said Shepard.

"What I _know_ is that my people are _dying_." he replied angrily. "I won't just sit back and watch it happen. They may've given up on themselves, but I haven't given up on them."

"Wrex, do you think this cure can _save_ the Krogan." asked Shepard neutrally. "Because if you do, you're a moron." Wrex let out a low growl, but Tali cut him off.

"What he's saying is that Saren won't use the cure to save the Krogan. He'll use it to enslave them, and turn them into weapons, just like the Salarians. Given the choice, which would _you_ pick: watching the Krogan race devolve into an army of mindless slaves, or go down fighting with your heads held high?"

Wrex's eyes narrowed. "You're trying to play to my Krogan spirit, Quarian." He growled, but then his face twisted into a fierce grin. "It's working. Still, there must be some way to avoid this."

Shepard hesitated a moment. "There is. I told you once that I believed the Krogan deserved a second chance. I still believe that." Wrex's grin turned into a smile, but Nihlus cut in.

"Wrex…" The smile was gone in a flash. "What happens when we stop Saren and the Genophage gets cured?"

Wrex mulled it over for a moment before he answered. "The clans start breeding again, in earnest. Give us a couple decades to rebuild our numbers, and we go on another rampage. Then, the Council and the Alliance step in and wipe us out, for good this time."

"Exactly." stated Shepard. "As much as I hate to say it, the Krogan aren't _ready_ for the Genophage to end. They need someone to make them ready. We've known each other for a while, Wrex. We've talked enough and killed enough to be close to brothers, if not in blood, than in arms. If you want to fix what the Salarians broke, I… _we're_ going to need you, Wrex. I need you to do the impossible: I need you to unite the Krogan clans and build a damn _culture_. Not an army, not a hoard, but an honest-to-god _society_, and I need you to do it from scratch, _before_ the Reapers arrive." He paused for just a moment to let the words sink in. "Are you strong enough to do it?"

Wrex studied Shepard for a long while, his face and body language betraying nothing. Just as Shepard was starting to worry, Wrex let out a bellowing laugh and clapped him firmly on the shoulder, almost hard enough to buckle his knees. "That's a challenge worthy of a Krogan _Emperor_, Shepard. You're damn right I am."

"Good. Here's my plan: we go in, secure the base, steal whatever intel we can, deactivate the defenses, then blow the place to hell with a nuke. If we can get ahold of the Genophage cure, we'll take it, and I'll hold onto it, personally. When the Krogan are ready, it's yours."

Wrex nodded once. "Simple plan. I like simple plans. I'm in."

Nihlus interrupted. "Shepard, I know you think you're doing the right thing here, but I'm not so sure. You pissed off the Council by saving the Rachni, and if you do this, they may well put a warrant out for you."

"I know, Nihlus. Be honest with me: do you agree with the decision, or don't you?"

He hesitated. "I don't know."

"Admitting what you _don't_ know is the beginning of wisdom, Nihlus. Second question: is saving the Krogan the right choice morally?"

"Yes." he answered instantly. "No species is deserving of extinction. Not the Krogan, not the Rachni, not anyone."

"Glad to see we agree on that. Final question: if the Council _does_ put a bounty on my head, what will _you_ do about it?" He didn't answer. Shepard waited for a minute to give him time to think, but eventually, it became clear he wasn't getting anything out of the Turian Spectre. Finally, Shepard let out a sigh. "I don't blame you, Nihlus. Whatever you _do_ decide, I want you to know, I understand."

"Thanks, Shepard." He turned and began to walk away. After a few steps, he glanced over his shoulder. "And for what it's worth, so do I."

* * *

_**Edit: Just passed 25k views. Thanks all for reading.**_

_**Timestamp 4/22/2014**_


	26. Chapter 22: The Gift

**_Author notes: Just wanted to let everyone know that I've got finals coming up soon, so things may slow down some on the updates. I try to release one every four days or so, but that might not be possible until my exams are out of the way. We'll see._**

* * *

Chapter 22: The Gift

"I see you've convinced your pet Krogan to see reason." said Kirrahe.

"No, I just appealed to his _sense_ of reason." retorted Shepard angrily. "Believe it or not, Salarians aren't the only species that has one of those."

The STG operative didn't rise to the bait. "And how exactly did you manage to… _reason_ with him?"

"By giving him what he wants, what his people need: a chance for a future."

Kirrahe didn't press for more information about Shepard's cryptic answer. "Regardless, we need to prepare for an assault on the base. Assuming, of course, that you're amicable?"

"I am. What's your plan?" By this point, most of Shepard's team had gathered around to listen.

"Basically, we use one of your nuclear weapons to flatten the complex."

"It can't be that simple." said Nihlus.

"It isn't." replied the Salarian. "The facility is protected by a gap generator. You won't be able to chrono in the nuke from here or in orbit, even if you wanted to. To top it off, we're still not sure how well the compound is fortified. A great deal of it is underground, so the bomb will have to be placed precisely."

"I assume you know where to place it?" asked Tali.

"Yes. The bomb must be positioned at the far side of the facility. Your ship can drop it off, but we'll need to infiltrate the base, disable the AA guns and gap generator, and pacify any resistance. While risky, I believe this plan can succeed if properly executed. I intend to divide my remaining troops into three teams and hit the front of the facility. While their forces are distracted, you can sneak a shadow team in the back and subvert their defenses."

"That's suicide." said Ashley, her eyes widening slightly.

"We're tougher than we look, but it's true I don't expect many of my men to survive."

"Then take some of my people with you." offered Shepard. "I can't be trying to sneak around with a team of ten, and they're some of the best in the galaxy."

"Well, I was going to ask for someone who was skilled in Alliance communications protocols." admitted Kirrahe. "Who did you have in mind?"

"I'll take Tali, Yuri, and Liara. My advice is to split the other six into three complimentary pairs: Kaidan and Ash, Pluribus and Nihlus, and Garrus and Wrex."

"That works for me. I need to brief my men."

"The same." replied Shepard. He contacted Pressley aboard the Normandy to have him begin filling out the paperwork for using a nuke, to which he reacted... poorly. When he finally stopped yelling and cursing, he grumbled an acknowledgement, and cut the line. Shepard chuckled and turned to his squad. "Tali, go get Yuri, and make sure he's in his damn armor. Everyone else, I need you to prepare for this. No heroics, no stupidity, and I'll see you on the other side."

"Heroics? You mean like taking on a Doom Fortress on _foot_, Skipper?" asked Ashley with a grin. The comment elicited a round of chuckles from the team.

"_Especially_ no heroics like that."

* * *

After Kirrahe's rousing speech, the various teams had mobilized to their initial positions. All that was left was to begin the assault.

"Com check. Do you read me, Commander?" asked Kirrahe.

"Ten four."

"Good. We'll start our push. We'll try to reach the AA guns, but it might be up to you to finish the job."

"Keep your eyes open, Captain." said Shepard. "I'm sure you noticed, but they've got Alliance tech. Expect the unexpected."

"Understood. And if you see any way to undermine their defenses, we could definitely use the help."

Shepard's team began their advance towards the rear of the base. After a few minutes, they encountered their first pockets of resistance, which were relatively light. Unfortunately, the other three teams weren't so lucky. A constant stream of communications chatter kept Shepard informed of the situation out front.

"Sir, one of the Salarian teams is under fire from some sort of-" said Ashley before being cut off by a massive explosion. Shepard could feel it from where he stood, as the ground itself quaked slightly. "_Fuck_! That's a damn Grande Cannon! Sir, we need you to disrupt the com network feeding that thing targeting data, ASAP!"

"Roger that, Ash." said Shepard. A minute later, they came across a communications array, which Tali was able to hack in short order. As the shadow team progressed deeper into the facility, they felt no further explosions from the oversized artillery piece.

"You're a godsend, Skipper. That's almost enough to make me forget your little prank. _Almost_."

"Focus on the battle, Williams." said Kirrahe in a firm tone. "Take the heat off of Mannovai."

Shepard's team traveled further, encountering a bare handful of Geth platforms and drones, a testament to the effectiveness of the distraction teams. Just as they reached a second structure, a massive white beam came barreling in from the sky and slammed into the ground somewhere behind a series of rock formations.

"Jorrel is down!" yelled Kirrahe. "I thought they couldn't use PRISM sats for ground strikes!"

"They can't!" replied Kaidan frantically.

"Well obviously they can, LT." said Ashley, struggling to be heard over gunfire. "They must have an uplink somewhere feeding them meteorological conditions to compensate for atmospheric distortion. If we can find it and take it out, they won't be able to give us more than a deep tan."

"I'd like to see that on you, Ashley." teased Garrus. Then he let out a low growl. "_All_… of you."

Ashley cleared her throat loudly, and Shepard could just imagine her face turning the color of a beet. "Ah…"

"Shoot now, fuck later." scolded Wrex. "And this time, be _quiet_ about it."

Ashley let loose a stream of curses over the com line, and Shepard couldn't help but chuckle. "Task at hand, people. I see a sat uplink on the roof ahead." He put a single sniper round into the fragile support of the array, and it toppled to the ground with a crash. "I think that solved our PRISM problem."

A few minutes later, Shepard's team approached what looked to be a resupply station for Geth drones. The moment before they rounded the corner, an electric hum filled the air, and Liara just managed to use her C-Dis to pull the unarmed Yuri to safety before he got cooked by a Tesla tower.

"Thank you, madam." said the psychic, brushing himself off. "This would go much easier if I had a weapon of some sort."

"Not a snowball's chance against a chainsaw wielding Terminator in hell, Yuri." said Shepard, picking off another rocket drone. "You're lucky Liara has the depth of character and good heart that she does. I'd have let you fry."

Shepard couldn't see his face, but he felt a flash of rage from the psychic which was quickly suppressed. "I will say this only once, _Commander_. When you have a tiger by the tail, you must take care that it does not devour you."

Shepard rounded on the man in a flash, his pistol flush against his helmet. "Was that a threat, Yuri?" he asked quietly.

To his credit, the man didn't as much as twitch, in body or in mind. "It was a warning. You know full well what I'm capable of, and unlike you, I will do _anything_ to defeat the Reapers." His voice got immeasurably cold as he continued, and it sent a shiver up Shepard's spine. "It is my destiny, and won't allow you, or anyone else, to get in the way of that."

There was a long pause as Shepard considered killing the man where he stood. Even as his finger tightened on the trigger, he hesitated. _'Think first. His usefulness outweighs the risks. For now.'_ It was difficult, but Shepard brought his emotions under control and holstered his weapon. "We need to get past that Tesla tower. Any ideas?"

"Throw Yuri out and let it cook him." said Tali bluntly. "Liara can use her biotics to smash it while it recharges."

"I considered that. Unfortunately, there might be other towers later, and we may need him then. Liara, can you use your C-Dis to drop something on it? I think that boulder should work."

"I can try." She targeted the boulder in question, one nearly three meters across, and adjusted the positioning controls on the device before letting it fall in the approximate location of the defensive structure. There was a loud crash, followed by a massive explosion which sent the entire team sprawling to the ground and drove the wind from their lungs. Once his ears stopped ringing, Shepard peaked around the corner to see what was left of the resupply station in flames.

"Who puts fuel tanks and an ammo dump near a high voltage source?" asked Shepard incredulously, surveying the wreckage. "That's the most retarded thing ever."

"Skipper, what the hell was that?" asked Ashley. "Did you run into another Grande Cannon?"

"We just took out a resupply station for the Geth drones. They should let up on you for a while."

"Many thanks, Commander." said Kirrahe. "How close are you to the base?"

"We should be inside in a few minutes."

After making their way through what was left of the Geth and Krogan forces defending the facility, the team finally reached a rear entrance to the complex. Moving to a security console, Tali quickly hacked into it. "I've got control of base security. I can disable the alarm system, possibly even reroute troops to the far side of the complex."

Shepard shook his head. "The Salarians have enough problems as it is. Just disable them for now, and see if you can't get us a layout of the structure."

"Not a problem." A few moments later, a map of the base appeared on their HUDs. "We're in."

The moment the door opened, the fire team was rushed by nearly a half dozen Salarian commandos. They displayed none of their usual skill or training, and simply charged at the heavily armed group with no thought to safety or tactics. Shepard sent a blast of psychic energy into one, and was immediately thrown into the fight of his life. The presence he encountered in Benezia's mind was feral and savage, but it didn't hold a _candle_ to the thing he faced now. He instantly withdrew from the Salarian's mind and put a bullet through his head. As soon as he did, his adrenaline high faded and he was struck with a splitting headache, which brought him to his knees panting.

"John! What's wrong?!" asked Tali, kneeling beside him. "Are you hit?"

"The… the Salarians. They're indoctrinated. But it's not like Benezia. It's much stronger. I tried to… enter one of their minds, and the… the _thing_ fought me. It damn near ripped me apart."

"From what we observed of Benezia, I would say her indoctrination was partial." said Yuri, moving to inspect one of the fallen Salarians. "We were able to free her because of that. Whatever was done to these creatures is much more thorough. Even if you were able to retake their minds, you would likely find them empty shells."

"You can't know that." said Tali angrily. "We might be able to-"

She cut off as Shepard put a hand on her arm. "He's right, Tali. As much as I hate to admit it, death is a mercy for these people." He stood shakily. "Let's get this over with."

"I guess this is what Kirrahe meant when he said he'd lost some men." said Liara sadly. "I'm beginning to wonder if breeding Krogan is the true purpose of this facility."

"It doesn't matter." said Shepard, motioning for the team to follow. "Soon enough, it'll be nothing more than a smoking crater." Moving into the next room in the base, Shepard heard a small voice come from beyond the railing on his left.

"Hello? Is someone out there?"

Looking over the side of the catwalk his group was traversing, Shepard saw a series of containment cells built into the wall. The voice had come from one near the end of the line, and he activated his chronosuit to move in front of it. There was a single Salarian inside, who looked ragged and beaten, but relatively calm… at least, until he started speaking.

"What do you want?" he asked in an aggressive rush. Without waiting for an answer, he continued. "I told you everything. I… Who are you? Alliance, right? I knew someone would come. It tried to break me but it couldn't. I remembered my anti-MC training. _I shut it out_!"

"Slow the hell down." commanded Shepard. "Who are you, and how did you get here?"

"Private Menos Avot, Salarian STG. Captured while on reconnaissance six days ago. Glad to answer, sir. Never any questions from these bastards, just whispers and _poking_ and _cutting_. I just want to get out and give them some payback. _That's not too much to ask, is it_?" he asked desperately.

Shepard didn't need to probe his mind to know the truth. "Private, you're indoctrinated. It's only partial, but you can't be trusted. However, I can break you free of it. It'll hurt like hell, and probably knock you cold, but if you can recover fast enough to make it back to the Salarian camp, you can get out of this."

"I… do it. Do it, before I change my mind."

Nodding once, Shepard focused on the Salarian's psyche. As he suspected, there was an indoctrinated presence in it, but it was no more powerful than Benezia's. In a less than a minute, it was gone, and Avot was picking himself up off the ground. Shepard blinked from a momentary bout of exhaustion, but quickly recovered.

"Thank you, Human. I'll remember this." He let out a short laugh. "I don't even know your name."

"Commander John Shepard, ASV Normandy. Now get the hell out of here. This place is about half an hour from being blown into the stratosphere."

He nodded once and hurried out, eager to be quit of the lab. Shepard quickly rejoined his team on the catwalk, where they'd been watching his actions.

"I must admit, I'm impressed. You did alone in one minute what took both of us fifteen previously." said Yuri with a ghost of a smile on his face. "If your powers continue to grow as they have been, you may eventually be capable of seizing control of an entire city by yourself."

"Able to, yes. Willing to, no." retorted Shepard. Without further conversation on the subject, he moved out and motioned for his team to follow. In the next room, there was a second Salarian, just like the first. He introduced himself as Lieutenant Ganto Imness.

"I was a member of the _control group_." he spat. "I was one of the lucky ones. I was forced to watch the rest of my team get turned into those mindless drones."

"Hate to tell you this, but you're not completely clean." said Shepard. "I can fix that, though."

"How, exactly?" he asked warily.

"Long story short, I've got psychic powers. Don't ask how, just roll with it. I can go into your mind and kill the thing trying to control you. After that, you're on your own."

"I can live with that."

"Brace yourself, this will only take a second." In truth, it took less than a second. The presence in his mind was miniscule, almost nonexistent, like a shadow of a shadow. A simple psychic push and it faded away, like smoke in the wind.

"That's it." said Shepard, opening the cell. "Get the clear of the base, and don't stop for anyone else. They're too far gone for you to help."

"Understood. Good luck, Human."

A quick trip up a nearby elevator led the team into a laboratory. The walls were lined with examination tables and scientific instruments, as well as life support tanks filled with Krogan clones.

"This must be where the Genophage research is done." commented Tali quietly. "We might be able to find the cure here."

"I sense civvies nearby. Yuri, help me keep them docile so we can question them. Tali, Liara, cover us." said Shepard.

Shepard exited the elevator and sent out tendrils of psychic energy towards one of the scientists, a Krogan. The moment he entered his mind, the presence controlling him attacked. Within a half minute, it was gone, and the scientist was picking himself up from the floor. Keeping a firm hold on the Krogan's mind, Shepard sent another stream of power towards a second scientist, this one Asari. He was able to fight off the indoctrination, but it was much more difficult, taking nearly two minutes, and the effort left him panting. By that time, the rest of the guards and husks in the room were dead, so Shepard made his way over to the Krogan scientist.

"Human." he growled. "Who are you? Why are you here?"

"I'll ask the questions." said Shepard, pushing firmly on the man's mind. "Name?"

"Weyrloc Droyas." he responded automatically.

"Are you the lead scientist on the Genophage cure?"

"Yes. My assistant and I have been working to complete the cure under Saren."

Shepard quirked an eyebrow. "It's not finished? How close are you?"

"It's not that it isn't finished, we just lack a viable delivery mechanism. We can rewrite individual Krogan on the genomic scale, but it takes too much time and too many resources. We're searching for a way to package it in a retrovirus, but we're not having much luck."

Shepard just shook his head at the oddity of a _Krogan_ using terms like 'retrovirus' and 'genomic' in a sentence, and correctly at that. "I need you to transfer all the data you have on the cure to my omnitool, and then delete it completely from Saren's databanks. After that, you might want to get the hell out of dodge and make for anywhere that isn't here."

"I…" the Krogan hesitated, and his mind railed against Shepard's control. After a moment, it subsided. "I understand." He quickly moved to a nearby terminal and began pulling data and transferring it to Shepard's 'tool. After a few minutes, he stood. "Done. Cora, let's get out of here." he said, motioning for his assistant to follow. As the boarded the elevator, Shepard gave them one last nudge to ensure they didn't try to turn around and cause problems.

"Breaking indoctrination while holding the mind of another is quite a feat, considering how long you've been training your abilities." said Yuri approvingly. "It will take time, but eventually it will become second nature."

That sent a small chill down Shepard's spine. _'Second nature? Christ…'_ "Let's move. We've wasted enough time as it is."

Exiting the lab, the team was ambushed by a small squad of Geth, which they quickly dealt with. They entered a final door, and walked into what looked like a reception room, where Shepard could just make out a single Asari cowering behind a desk.

"Come out with your hands up." ordered Shepard firmly, leveling his pistol towards the desk.

"Don't shoot!" she pleaded, standing quickly and raising her hands. "Please, I just want to get out of here before it's too late."

"Too late? Do you mean before you end up working for a wanted terrorist and war criminal, before you get indoctrinated, or before this place gets blown to hell and back?" asked Shepard condescendingly.

"Please! I'm not a soldier, I'm a neurologist, and this job isn't worth dying over… or _worse_. I'll give you anything you want, just let me go."

"Let's start with some information, like your name, and what you do here."

"Rana Thanoptis. Saren hired me to study the effects of indoctrination on the prisoners, and… anyone else who's affected. My first test subject was the man I replaced. Sooner or later, Saren will want to dissect my brain, too."

"That's probably a lot sooner than you think." said Shepard. "You're suffering from early stage indoctrination."

Her eyes went wide with shock. "B-but I feel fine!" she protested.

"And?" Tali asked with a pointed look.

"I… oh Goddess, you're right." she said weakly, slumping to her knees. "It's so… _subtle_. I thought… I thought I had more time. Please, you have to help me!" she nearly wailed.

"Give me one reason I should do any such thing." said Shepard coldly. "Not only did you help experiment on Saren's victims, you don't even have indoctrination as an excuse for your actions. I should kill you right now."

"I can help you! This elevator behind me goes to Saren's private lab. I can get you in and deactivate the security." She stood and opened up her omnitool before entering a series of commands. "See? Full access to the lab and all of Saren's private files... Will you let me go?" There was the barest hint of deception in her mind, and Shepard leveled a hard gaze at her.

"Are you sure that's _all_ I need to know?"

"I… wait, there's something else." She averted her eyes as she continued. "Saren has… powers. I'm not sure how to describe it. He can do… _things_. With his mind."

"Like mind control?" asked Tali worriedly. "John, if Saren was exposed to the beacon, he could be like you."

"Mind control?" asked Rana. "No, nothing like that. He can move things, even destroy them if he's angry enough. It's like biotics, but… not."

The revelation made Shepard break out in a cold sweat. "Telekinesis? That's not good. But if he can do it, why can't I?"

"Maybe the beacon effects different species differently." offered Liara. "Humans get telepathy and mind control, and Turians get telekinesis."

Shepard nodded. "I guess that makes sense." He activated his com. "Everyone, did you get that." he asked over the link. "If you see Saren, stay on your toes." A chorus of acknowledgements rang out in response.

"Wait, you have psychic powers?" asked Rana amazedly. She withered when Shepard shot her a glare.

"That particular piece of intel is damn important, and it buys you a second chance, Thanoptis. Brace yourself." She nodded, and Shepard entered her mind, quickly subduing the presence there, which was fairly weak. "I've broken you free of the indoctrination." She breathed a sigh of relief as he continued. "Now, unless you want to take a quick trip to the upper atmosphere, I suggest leaving."

"What?"

He chuckled grimly. "Did you think I was kidding when I said I was going to blow this place to hell and back? You've got about fifteen minutes before I detonate a two hundred kiloton nuke in the middle of this facility." She stared at him dumbly, her jaw working but no sound coming out. Shepard let out an exasperated sigh. "Fourteen minutes, fifty _nine_ seconds, fourteen minutes, fifty _eight_ seconds, fourteen minutes, fifty _seven_ seconds…" he said, counting down. Rana let out a shrill wail and bolted to the door. Shepard could still hear her scream as her voice faded in the distance, and he couldn't help but chuckle.

"That was mean, John." said Tali, trying and failing to fight back a smile.

"Considering what she did here, I'd say her punishment was light." said Liara, grinning widely.

"Must we make these pointless detours?" asked Yuri, thoroughly killing the mood. "Your team is still fighting the Geth, remember?"

Shepard shot him an annoyed glance, but nodded. "Fair enough. Let's go."

After a few elevator rides, and several unlocked blast doors later, Shepard and his team finally entered what appeared to be Saren's lab. It was surprisingly empty, but there was a Prothean beacon on the far side of the room. Seeing it, Shepard motioned for the others to approach cautiously. He stopped a few meters short of it.

"Well now what?" asked Tali.

"The vision I received on Eden Prime was incomplete, right Liara? I'm guessing this beacon has the full version."

"That's quite possible, Shepard. Are you going to use it?"

Shepard considered for a moment. "If I do, you'll need to meld with me to get the vision, and I promised Tali I wouldn't do that again. Still, using the beacon could unlock more of my powers, possibly give me new ones. There's no way to be sure. I suppose _you_ could use it, but we've no idea what kind of effect it might have on Asari. It could be nothing, it could make you a psionic god, or it could kill you."

"I… I'm willing to try. The vision could be vital to catching Saren."

Shepard shook his head. "Receiving the vision nearly killed me, Liara. I don't want you to take that risk. You're the only one with the Cypher, so if things go belly up, we need you." Shepard turned to Tali. "Tali, I made you a promise. I won't break it, but I'd rather Liara not do this."

Tali turned to Liara and gave her a long, appraising look. "Liara, let me make this clear: I don't like you doing this to John. It's nothing personal, and I still value you as a friend, but it makes me… uncomfortable."

Shepard chuckled slightly. "Tell the truth, Tali. She deserves it."

"I… alright. It makes me jealous, damnit. Just… let's get this over with, before I change my mind. Damn Saren and his ancestors for making this necessary."

Shepard nodded once, and then approached the beacon like he had on Eden Prime. When he got close, it grabbed him, and the vision began to poor into his mind once again. It was almost identical to the previous one, but there were other pieces that weren't there before. After it was over, the force holding him aloft disappeared, and Shepard fell to the ground panting.

"Damn. I'll never get used to that. Still, at least I didn't spend half a day unconscious, like last time."

"I remember using the beacon in Russia all those years ago." mused Yuri. "It's almost… nostalgic. Commander, you may wish to preserve the beacon for later use. With it, you could create an army of psychic soldiers. You could revolutionize the entire Human race."

That brought Shepard up short. _'The beacon can be used more than once. It probably won't last forever, but while it does… But it nearly killed me. And it created a monster like Yuri. I suppose we can be careful about who we trust with it, but even so... On the other hand, we might _need_ this to fight the Reapers, and I can't destroy it out of fear. Damnit.'_ Shepard was snapped out of his reverie by a hand on his shoulder.

"John. I don't know about this."

"Neither do I. For now, we should hold onto it. We can decide what to do with it later. I'll slap a locator beacon on it, and we can have Joker chrono it aboard the Normandy"

Shepard did just that, and the team made to leave, when they were stopped by the appearance of a large, red, ominous hologram. When it resolved, it took the form of a Reaper. And not just any Reaper. When it spoke, its' ultra-bass voice seemed to fill the entire room, like a cloak of darkness, as if it were a physical object.

"**You are not Saren**."

Shepard refused to let himself be intimidated. "No shit, Nazara."

"**Rudimentary creatures of blood and flesh. You touch my mind, fumbling in ignorance, incapable of understanding. There is a realm of existence so far beyond your own, you cannot even imagine it. I am beyond your comprehension. I… am Sovereign.**"

"I _understand_ that the Reapers are gigantic mechanical bugs that get off on killing things. I don't need to _comprehend_ bugs. I just smash them." retorted Shepard coldly.

"**Reaper: a label created by the Protheans to give voice to their destruction. In the end, what they chose to call us is irrelevant. We simply… are.**"

"Not for long." said Shepard. "You may not realize it, but you're already dead."

"**Ignorance born of overconfidence. Organic life is nothing but a genetic mutation; an accident. Your lives are measured in years, and decades. You wither, and die. We… are eternal. The pinnacle of evolution and existence. Before us, you are nothing. Your extinction is inevitable. We are the end of everything.**"

"I'm going to enjoy killing you."

"**The cycle cannot be broken. The pattern has repeated itself more times than you can fathom. Organic civilizations rise, evolve, advance… and at the apex of their glory, they are extinguished. The Protheans were not the first. They did not create the Citadel. They did not forge the Mass Relays. They merely found them; the legacy of my kind. Your civilization is based on the technology of the Mass Relays; **_**our**_** technology. By using it, your society develops along the paths we desire. We impose order on the chaos of organic evolution. You exist because we allow it, and you will end because we demand it.**"

The speech from the monstrosity finally got to Shepard, and he found himself doing something no one had ever expected. He laughed. Not uproariously, not jovially, not even confidently. He laughed evilly.

"Reaper, I want you to remember my face. Burn it into whatever you have that passes for a memory. All things have a beginning, and all things have an end. Remember my face, and remember it well… because it's the last thing you'll ever see before I kill you."

The Reaper hesitated for a moment. **"This exchange is over.**" The instant it finished speaking, there was an explosion outside the building, and the windows were blown inwards. Immediately after, the hologram vanished, and Joker's voice came through Shepard's com.

"Commander, we have a problem. That ship… Sovereign… it just dropped out of FTL, and it's moving to the planet. I don't know what you did down there, but that thing looks pissed."

"Tali, see if you can find the controls for the AA defenses and gap generator. We need to head for the breeding facility and blow this place to hell. Joker, meet us at the rendezvous point."

* * *

When Shepard's team finally made it to the location to set the bomb, they were met with the sight of the Normandy, which arrived just after they did. It set down, the cargo bay ramp extended, and the doors opened, revealing Shepard's team alive and well behind them, along with a good percentage of the Salarian troops. A half dozen of the ship's crew were laden with an Alliance tactical nuke, which they swiftly carried out to the coordinates, and began to arm.

"Alright, let's blow this popsicle stand." said Shepard. "I'd rather we chrono the damn thing in from orbit, but we can't deactivate the gap generator. Set up us the bomb."

When the device was in position, Shepard entered his personal activation codes, making sure it couldn't be deactivated. Just as he finished, there was a loud rumbling overhead. Far in the distance, a massive shape, as black as night itself, touched down on the surface of Virmire, and it sent up clouds of mist and spray from the sea. When they cleared, the outline of a Reaper resolved.

"_**OH SHIT!**_**"** yelled Shepard, his eyes going wide. "_TIME TO LEAVE! EVERYONE, GET ON BOARD THE NORMANDY! JOKER, LAUNCH EVERY NUKE WE'VE GOT LEFT AT THAT THING!_"

The Reaper began charging what looked like its' main weapon, a massive red structure in the middle of its form that looked like nothing less than a single, demonic eye. Just before it could fire, there was a series of flashes directly in front of it, and they made the entire team cringe in shock, temporarily blinded by the light of a thousand suns. Blinking repeatedly, Shepard managed to recover his vision fast enough to see the massive hulk topple to the ground with over dozens of rents, gashes, pockmarks, and dents of various sizes in its' metallic carapace. It landed in the sea with an enormous roar, and created a gigantic tsunami which began racing in every direction.

When the remainder of his team was recovered, Shepard began pushing them towards the rear of the Normandy, to usher them aboard. In the distance, the Reaper began picking itself up from the sea slowly, as if the nine nuclear warheads that had just detonated a few meters from it were nothing more than a minor setback, rather than a near crippling blow. Just before the team reached the ship, Shepard felt himself being pushed from behind by a massive wall of power, and was vaguely aware of his team flying into the hold beside him. When he picked himself up to his knees and looked back, he saw Kaidan beyond the closing cargo bay doors, awash in biotic power.

In that single instant, time seemed to freeze. Overhead, Saren was visible, shrouded in a black and purple swirling energy field. He was held aloft by nothing, or so it seemed from Shepard's vantage point. Saren let loose a massive blast of psychic energy, which seemed to creep towards Kaidan with agonizing slowness. The moment before it reached him, Kaidan closed his eyes, and his features became serene, calm, almost accepting. When the psychic bolt struck him, Kaidan simply ceased being, his entire body drawn to a single point before vanishing completely.

The Normandy began to ascend into the sky rapidly, beating a hasty retreat from the Reaper and the base. Saren himself seemed to realize the danger he was in and made a beeline for the still recovering Sovereign. Shepard saw all of this happen as if he were looking through another man's eyes, and it wasn't until the flash of a final nuclear blast appeared in the distance a minute later that what happened came crashing down on Shepard's mind.

'_Kaidan. He's… gone. And he did it to save us. One more body on the pile… _**NO! **_**I refuse to think of Kaidan like that**_. _He was my friend, and he saved my life. He save_ all_ our lives.__ I owe him that much, at least.'_

Shepard let loose a howl of rage and grief and loss, and it reverberated in the now sealed cargo bay.

"_Goddamnit_! _Kaidan_!" he yelled. His anger and grief were quickly subsumed by a hard, icy rage. "I swear, I'll catch Saren." he vowed, his voice shaky, but his resolve firm. "If it's the last thing I ever do, I'll find him... and I'll kill him."


	27. Chapter 23: Dead or Alive

Chapter 23: Dead or Alive

Most of the crew was numb in the wake of Kaidan's death. They'd seen soldiers die before, but watching Kaidan sacrifice himself for them, when Saren had killed him out of naught but spite, weighed heavy on their hearts and minds. Shepard had Joker plot a course for the Citadel, and he decided to focus on work to take his mind off the situation. The remnants of the Salarian team, four men, were waiting in the cargo hold with Kirrahe, along with the two prisoners Shepard had rescued from the lab before it blew. Of the three scientists, there was no trace, but they could've made other escape arrangements. It irked Shepard that they hadn't had time to recover the beacon, what with their frantic run from Sovereign, but there was nothing that could be done about it now. All he could do was soldier on.

"Kirrahe, we need to talk." said Shepard, stepping towards the elevator.

"Indeed we do. Perhaps we should do this in your briefing room?"

Shepard nodded. "I'll call together the rest of the team."

In a few minutes, they were assembled and in their usual spots in the briefing room, Yuri included. Shepard set his omnitool to record the conversation, knowing he'd need it later. When Kirrahe moved to sit in Kaidan's empty chair, Ashley stopped him.

"Don't. That chair was Kaidan's. Just… please, just stand for now."

Kirrahe said nothing, but nodded slightly and moved to lean against the wall.

"First things first." said Shepard. "Sovereign. Most of the Council, and by extension, the Salarian Union, Asari Republics, and Turian Hierarchy, _still_ don't believe that the Reapers are a threat. Is there anyone in here who still has doubts?"

There was a round of murmured 'no's' and shaken heads. The only exception was Kirrahe. "That was Saren's flagship Sovereign, correct? Considering that you detonated nine nuclear warheads directly next to it, and it was only moderately damaged, I agree that _it_ poses a significant threat. However, there is little evidence to suggest there are any more vessels like it."

"Then who built it?" asked Tali simply. "Even the Alliance doesn't have technical capabilities like that. If they did, the Contact War would've gone much differently."

"Saren has the backing of the heretic Geth." replied the Salarian. "They could've built it."

"They did not." said Pluribus. "The heretics do not possess the knowledge or technical capability needed to construct a device such as an old machine."

"How can you be certain of that?"

"We are Geth. With access to the Consensus, we could produce recordings and documentation of first contact between Nazara and the Geth."

"Any such recordings could be fabricated easily."

Shepard had finally had it. '_It's like the entire fucking universe outside of the Alliance, Flotilla, and Consensus are content with burying their heads in the sand and waiting until the Reapers show up to kill us all.'_ However, rather than directly insulting and belittling the unfathomable idiocy and stubbornness of the Salarian commando, he did the opposite. He questioned it.

"Then why aren't there more ships like Sovereign?" he asked in a cold, quiet fury. "Why build only one, instead of a fleet? Why the schism in the Geth after three hundred years? Why not attack sooner? Why not attack _later_? Why attack _at all_? Why follow _Saren_ of all people? If the heretics built Sovereign, why is an _organic_ commanding it, and a former _Spectre_ at that? Two of your men were indoctrinated, until I broke them free of it. Why haven't the heretics used indoctrination more extensively? Why would Saren need to _study_ indoctrination if the heretic Geth created the process? How could the heretics _possibly_ create weapons like Sovereign and indoctrination, yet still be unable to defend the vast majority of their civilian population from an Alliance assault? And why would the true Geth _lie_ about the meeting with the Reapers, when every action they've taken until now has been _against_ the heretics, Saren, and Sovereign? If you can satisfactorily answer every single one of those questions without resorting to the old standbys of _rhetoric_, _denial_, and _motherfucking SORCERY_, I'll personally disembowel myself in the Council chambers with a rusty carving knife while dancing the _macarena_ and singing _ODE TO JOY_!"

The Salarian commando stuttered for a moment before regaining his composure. "I… well, when you put it that way… Still, the idea of Reapers is a bit… far-fetched."

"You're a Salarian, Kirrahe." said Nihlus calmly. "Salarians look at every problem analytically. Give us _one_ other explanation for the extinction of the Protheans. Disease? Quarantining planets would stop that. Famine? Not possible across an entire empire, and it would only be temporary. Hostile forces that _aren't_ the Reapers? Where did _they_ go? Civil war? What happened to the faction that won? For _any_ theory, where did all the evidence go? As hard as it is to imagine, there's simply no other way to explain it. I'm not sure when the Reapers will arrive. I'm not sure where, and I'm not sure how. However, after _seeing_ a Reaper first hand, I know this: they _are_ coming, and when they do… the galaxy will burn."

Kirrahe ruminated quietly for a few moments, but nodded. "You may have convinced _me_, but that will do you little good. You need to convince the Council."

"I somehow doubt that's gonna happen." said Shepard with a dark laugh. "I lost my Spectre status because I saved the Rachni from extinction. Now, I've got a Genophage cure, and there's no way in hell that the Council is getting their hands on it. I'll damn well go _rogue_ before that happens."

Kirrahe's mouth narrowed. "You saved the cure? That is… unwise."

"Why?" asked Shepard firmly. "When the Reapers come, we'll need every soldier in the _galaxy_ to fight them, Krogan included. The cure is the driving force they need to turn themselves into a civilization instead of just a bunch of thugs and mercs fighting for credits. Wrex says he can do it, and I believe him. When they're ready, I'll give them the cure, and we'll fight the Reapers together."

"And who decides when they're ready?" Kirrahe asked contemptuously. "_You_?"

"You're damn right, _me_." replied Shepard coldly. "The Council, the Salarian Union, and the Turian Hierarchy had two goddamn _millennia_ to un-fuck Krogan society after the Rachni Wars. Even after the Rebellions, you had another fourteen hundred years to fix the problem. And what, in your _infinite wisdom_, did you choose to do instead? You stuck your heads in the sand and prayed for the problem to go away. It was the same with the Geth, and it's _still_ the same with the Hegemony and Terminus Systems. _Does this_ _sound familiar to you_?" sneered Shepard.

"What makes you think the Krogan can be _fixed_, as you say? There's no evidence to suggest that their _culture_ is anything but war and conflict."

"That's because you Salarians _obliterated_ Krogan culture when you uplifted us." growled Wrex. "You turned us into killing machines, and then got angry when we _continued_ killing, rather than miraculously developing a society again."

"Even so, the Krogan are still responsible for billions of deaths in the Rebellions. What about the crimes committed by them then?"

"The _Salarians_ and _Turians_ are responsible for those crimes, not the Krogan." said Garrus. "We used the Krogan as a weapon, and we have only ourselves to blame for the results. If you fail to build a weapon correctly, if you fail to maintain it properly, then you have only yourself to blame when it explodes in your hands."

"And on top of that, everyone who fought in the Rebellions is _dead_." growled Shepard. "Do you really believe in punishing an entire _race_ for the actions of their ancestors and brethren? The Council did so with the Krogan and the Quarians. Imagine if the Alliance did that."

Kirrahe's eyes widened slightly.

"That's right." said Shepard. "If Humans and Quarians did that, the rest of the Council would be, to put it bluntly, completely fucked. In the Contact War, we could've _annihilated_ the entire Hierarchy in nuclear fire. It would've taken years, and we'd have taken quite a few loses, but we could've done it. And all because we blamed them, _all of them_, for what happened at Shanxi. If the Council had stepped in, the result would've been the same. It would've taken even longer, and even more bodies, but eventually, only the Alliance and Flotilla would've been left. Personally, I'm glad to see we avoided that. And here you are, preaching vengeance, retribution, and destruction on an entire _species_ because of something that happened _seventy generations ago_!"

"I see." said Kirrahe slowly. "You've given me a great deal to think on, Shepard. Even so, I doubt the Council will agree with your reasoning. You're on thin ice as it is, after having saved the Rachni."

Shepard laughed mirthlessly. "I don't care, Captain. I'm sick of dealing with the Council. Maybe I was never cut out to be a Spectre. Even so, I intend to do what needs to be done. This has progressed beyond Saren. Now, my goal… my _only_ goal… is stopping the Reapers, consequences be _damned_."

* * *

The five members of the Citadel Council were ensconced in a sealed room. They'd been reviewing the mission reports of the Salarian STG team on Virmire, as well as those submitted by Nihlus, Tali, and Shepard. The final piece of evidence was a recording of the conversation between Kirrahe and Shepard's team, which the entire Council had watched wordlessly. When it was over, the first person to speak was Sparatus.

"Well... that was… enlightening. I'm sorely tempted to take him up on his offer and answer his questions, but as much as I _loathe_ admitting it, I can't."

"Indeed." said Valern. "Nothing else can adequately explain the events and actions we've observed thus far. I may not be entirely convinced of the Reapers, but I feel we must consider the possibility."

"Whether or not _we_ believe it, Shepard certainly does." said Tevos, massaging her temples. "Even so, I fail to understand his drive to save the Krogan. What stake does he have in them?"

"His _stake_, as you so eloquently put it, is the fight against the Reapers." said Raan. "Regardless of their current status, no one can dispute that the Krogan are some of the fiercest warriors in the galaxy."

"What good will foot soldiers do against a race of omnicidal mechanical spaceships?" asked Sparatus dismissively. "What we need are navies and sailors to combat them, not warriors."

"Sparatus, no battle can be won _entirely_ from space." retorted Raan. "The Hierarchy learned that at Shanxi. Eventually, a ground war _will_ be necessary, and when it is, the Krogan are masters at land warfare."

"Even so, a victory against the Reapers will be meaningless if the galaxy is overrun by the Krogan a few decades later." countered Valern. "We must think beyond the problems of the present and to those of the future."

"Valern, if we don't win against the Reapers, there won't _be_ a future, for any of us." replied Raan.

No one spoke for a few moments, but eventually, Tevos broke the awkward silence. "Assuming we _did_ attempt to help the Krogan rebuild their civilization, do you think they would accept? They despise the Council. They're more likely to attack us than listen to anything we say."

"That's because they've suffered under the Genophage for _fourteen hundred years_." said Raan contemptuously. "You wounded them with it, and rather than try and heal the wound immediately, or better yet, _fix the underlying problem_, you let it fester and become infected. Now, it may be too late for the Council to do _anything_. It was the same with the Flotilla. We allowed our fear and hatred of the Geth to blind us to the possibility of peace, just the same as you. Had we simply attempted peaceful contact, we could've resettled Rannoch and our old colonies hundreds of years ago. Ancestors, we might've been able to avoid our exile _entirely_, had we been able to overcome our fear."

"Then how would you suggest we aid the Krogan?" asked Tevos. "They won't listen to us long enough to decide if we're sincere or not."

"Honestly, there's nothing you can do at this point." admitted Raan after a long moment. "The only power that can help is the Alliance. The Flotilla doesn't have the resources to help the Krogan rebuild, especially considering we're still in negotiations with the Geth for resettlement rights beyond the Perseus Veil. When we get them hammered out, we'll need to devote our entire economy towards the Reapers and Rannoch. Given the tension between the Alliance and the Hierarchy since the Contact War, the Krogan Clans are reasonably likely to accept an alliance with Humanity."

"Do you think we're going to _allow_ the Alliance to ally with the Krogan?" scoffed Sparatus angrily. "If that happened, their individual strength, as well as that provided by the Flotilla, Geth, and _Rachni_, would give you a power bloc to match the entirety of the Council and the Terminus Systems _combined_."

"And how do you propose to stop us?" asked Hannah quietly, speaking for the first time in nearly an hour.

The other four Councilors snapped their attention to Hannah, and all but Raan had decidedly nervous looks on their faces. They had _forgotten she was there_. Valern recovered first. "By destroying the Genophage cure. Without it, you won't be able to convince the Krogan to fall in line."

"And how will you manage that?" asked Hannah. She paused, and her mouth quirked slightly into a small grin. "Sorcery?"

"Kirrahe's STG team is on the Normandy." replied the Salarian Councilor. "They can handle it."

"John can control minds, and he has Yuri aboard, as well as the entire crew." retorted Hannah. "You _might_ succeed in killing a few members of his team, which'll only piss him off. He threatened to go _rogue_ if that happened, and I believe him."

"Two members of his team are Council Spectres." said Tevos with a bit of desperation in her voice. "They'll listen to our orders."

Hannah let out a booming, humorless laugh. "The same two Spectres who stood in front of _this very Council_ and threatened to _resign_ when you attempted to remove him from the hunt for Saren? You can't possibly be that deluded. For god's sake, Tali's in _love_ with him, and he with her." Hannah snickered slightly. "I can't wait to see the look on Rael's face when he finds out."

"Zorah might not listen, but Nihlus will." argued Sparatus. "He's been a Spectre too long to go against a direct order like this, and he knows what's at stake here."

"I concur." said Valern.

Tevos hesitated for a moment before responding. "As do I… Hannah-"

"No!" she snapped. "You're asking me to put out a warrant for my _son_! And not just an arrest warrant, but a _kill order_! _You can burn in_ _**hell**_!" she snarled.

"You can't stop us!" growled Sparatus.

"No, I can't." said Hannah immediately, her eyes aflame with barely restrained rage and hate. "The only thing I can do is resign. That said, I hope you realize that you're going after _my son. MY SON_!" Hannah trembled for a moment before regaining her composure. When she looked up, a fierce determination burned in her eyes. She stood and leaned forward on the pentagonal table as she addressed the other Councilors, and they subconsciously leaned back in their chairs. "Even if I do resign, my _handpicked_ _successor_ will be _significantly_ harder to deal with than I am, I can _assure_ you. And I have _more_ than enough friends in the Alliance and Flotilla to keep John protected in our territory, and to keep _you_ from touching him. Considering the ship he's on, you'll _never_ be able to find him, and he'll have then entire _Alliance_ backing him."

"You would go so far as to _threaten us_?" asked Valern contemptuously.

"This is no _threat_, Valern!" she snapped. "Calling it a _threat_ implies the possibility of it not being carried out." Her voice adopted a deadly, dangerous tone as she continued. "This isn't a threat, or a warning, or a _political maneuver_." she sneered. "This is a _fact_: if you go after my son, after everything he's been through, after all he's lost and suffered, after everything he's _done_, not just for this Council, but for the _entire_ _galaxy_… then I will do everything in my power to help him. I will call in every _favor_ and _marker_ and _friend_ I have. I will burn my _career_ and my _reputation_ and my _name_ to the _ground_ to stop you! If it costs me my _life_, if it means pushing the Alliance to _war_, if it means selling my _soul_ to _Satan __**himself**_, then I will do _anything_, _**ANYTHING**_… to protect. My. Son."

"You can't do this!" yelled Tevos. "You're a Citadel Councilor!"

"Not anymore." said Hannah in an icy rage. "At this point, you can issue whatever _edicts_ you like. In the meantime, I'll be warning John about what's happened here. You can either accept it, or do something… drastic."

The way she said the last word sent a bone numbing chill into the atmosphere of the small room. "Such as?" asked Valern in a weak voice.

"Declare war on the entire Alliance _and_ her allies." replied Hannah softly. She stood and walked to the door. Just before she left, she turned around and faced the stunned Council. "Considering the Reapers are coming, it'll be a _total_ war. And we're good at those."

* * *

Less than two hours out from the Citadel, Shepard received a message from the Council.

'_No, not the Council, just mom. What on Earth?'_

As he read the fairly concise letter, his eyes widened in shock, and he felt a pair of tears form in them.

"Mom…"

He recovered quickly, and began forwarding the message to each member of his ground crew and the Normandy's security personnel, as well as orders to suit up, obtain weapons as surreptitiously as possible, and to meet in the cargo hold. Just as he was about to message Nihlus, he hesitated.

'_Damnit.'_

He finally sent Nihlus an altered message, simply ordering him to report to the hold. After donning his armor in his quarters and retrieving his rifle, Shepard made his way to the elevator, where most of his team members, and six guards, were waiting, fully decked out. They boarded the elevator, and as it descended, there was little conversation.

"John, this is bad." said Tali. "If the Salarians decided to start shooting…"

"I'm not worried about the Salarians." he replied calmly. "We outnumber them, and I can break through their mental defenses. I'm worried about Nihlus. After what happened on Virmire… I'm not sure which way he'll decide. I hate doing this to him, but until we know better, treat him as potentially hostile."

His team acknowledged his order, and a moment later, the elevator doors opened. Most of the Salarians were looking at their omnitools, reading what Shepard assumed to be orders from the Council… as was Nihlus. They looked up as his team disembarked, and their bodies immediately tensed. Unfortunately, they'd removed their armor, so even with their weapons, they were badly outmatched. Their situation got worse when Garrus, Ashley, and Wrex activated the turrets in the MIAFV, which turned into a Perch, GatGun, and Flechette Cannon respectively. After a moment, Shepard spoke.

"Don't try it, Kirrahe. You're outnumbered and outgunned, and we have armor. The only thing you'll accomplish is adding seven more bodies to the pile."

"You're defying a direct order from the Council, Shepard." he warned.

"I don't answer to the Council."

"Neither do I." said Tali firmly. "I'll do the paperwork later, but I'm officially resigning my Spectre status, for real this time."

Kirrahe's eyes narrowed, and he faced the unarmed and unarmored Nihlus. "Et tu, Nihlus?"

Nihlus hesitated for a long moment before looking at Shepard. "Shepard, I…"

"I understand, Nihlus." he replied dejectedly. "To be fair, I might do the same if our positions were reversed. I'm not sure, but… Regardless, I understand." Shepard faced Kirrahe. "Well, Captain? If I have to kill you, I will. Don't make it necessary."

Kirrahe weighed his options for a long while. Eventually, he sighed and dropped his rifle. "Stand down, men. We surrender."

"Thank you, Captain. I wish it hadn't come to this." He turned to his guards. "Secure their weapons and omnitools, restrain them, and put them in the sleeper pods." He faced Kirrahe again. "When we get to the Citadel, we'll have you don your armor and chrono you to the Presidium, sans weapons. You too, Nihlus, though I won't have you restrained."

Nihlus shook his head. "No Shepard, you should. For both our sakes."

Shepard sighed and nodded once, then activated his communicator. "Joker, fire up the stealth systems. When we reach the Widow Relay, come into the Citadel quiet and get us close enough for chrono transport."

"They'll see us if we do that, Commander." he replied. "The Alliance has psy-radar all over the place."

"Doesn't matter. We'll be gone in ten seconds, and the Citadel Defense Fleet won't be able to respond that fast."

"Aye, Commander. Engaging stealth systems."

* * *

"Shepard, given our encounter with Saren and Sovereign on Virmire, I believe we should… well… _analyze_ vision the beacon gave you." said Liara hesitantly.

Shepard sighed, looking up from his desk where he and Pressley had been filling out forms for the past hour. Using multiple nuclear warheads in a single incident required extra paperwork compared to the use of a single warhead, and he wasn't looking forward to another eight hours of this. "Thank god. I'd give anything to get away from this bureaucratic bullshit for a little while." Shepard ignored the dirty look Pressley gave him as he continued. "Do we need anyone else, or will just Tali and I be enough?"

"I'd like to get everyone's opinion on the matter, and we'll just end up repeating anything we learn if we don't include the others."

"Fair enough. To the Batcave!" he declared jovially.

Liara gave him a confused look, but just shook her head and mumbled something about never understanding Humans. A few minutes later, the team was assembled. Everyone in the room tried to studiously ignore the two empty chairs, but it was obvious they were uncomfortable.

"The beacon on Virmire added to the vision I received on Eden Prime." said Shepard. "Though I wish we'd been able to recover it, what's important is that we may have a clue to locating the Conduit, or at the very least, figuring out Saren's next move."

Tali let out a low growl, and Liara started fidgeting in her seat. "Please, Tali. I understand how you feel, but-"

"_No_, you _don't_." she snapped angrily, cutting Liara off. Then she sighed and her anger melted. "Sorry, Liara. It's just… knowing that you _might_ have to set aside personal feelings for the sake of the mission and _actually_ having to do it are two different things, alright? Just… just get it over with. If it helps us catch Saren and stop the Reapers, then I can live with it."

"And I though _Turian_ females were territorial." chuckled Garrus. He let out a yelp when Tali slapped him on the back of the head, and another when Ashley did the same thing a second later.

"Can it, Vakarian." ordered Ashley. When she noticed everyone in the room staring at her, she blushed slightly. "What?"

"I guess _all_ females are territorial, regardless of species." chuckled Wrex. "Though most don't stake two different claims at the same time."

Ashley's blush deepened, but Shepard forestalled the encounter by standing. "Getting off subject, people. Liara, you heard Tali. Let's get this over with."

She nodded and walked over to him, then placed her hands on his head. "Relax Commander. Embrace Eternity!"

For a moment, nothing happened, and the pair simply stared at each other awkwardly. "Uh… wasn't something supposed to happen?" asked Garrus.

"This is… impossible." said Liara, sounding shaken. "The meld… _failed_. Such a thing has never happened before; not that I know of, anyways."

"Commander, perhaps your mental defenses are blocking the meld." suggested Yuri. "Did you feel them activate?"

"I'm not sure." he replied. "Try again, Liara."

She nodded. "Embrace Eternity!" Again, nothing happened, but this time, Shepard felt a brush on his mind, which seemed to skitter across the steel walls he kept erected around his thoughts.

"He's right." said Shepard. "I keep my mental defenses up all the time now. It's a subconscious thing. Give me a second to turn them off." After a moment, he felt the barriers around his mind crumble, but he had to concentrate to keep them down. "Third time's the charm." he said with a nod.

This time, he felt the familiar sensation of a mind meld, and the vision replayed itself in his head once more. When it ended, Liara collapsed to the floor bonelessly, barely conscious and wheezing. "I… may have…"

"Pluribus, get her to Chakwas, _now!_" ordered Shepard. The synthetic moved quickly, and in a moment, the doors to the room closed behind them. "_Shit_. What the hell happened? She was exhausted before, but this time it almost killed her."

"Did you deactivate _all_ of your defenses?" asked Yuri pointedly. "You may have taken down the passive barriers, but not the active ones."

"Oh _shit!_ I can't believe I was that fucking stupid! Jesus Christ, I could've _killed_ her!" he moaned.

Tali tried to comfort him. "John, it's not-"

"Yes it is, Tali! I just fucking _forgot_, and now Liara could _die_ because I'm an _idiot_!"

"Everyone makes mistakes, Skipper." said Ashley. "Liara's a strong kid. She'll make it, I'm sure of it. The only question is why. Why did your mental defenses stop an Asari mind meld? I thought they worked by joining nervous systems, not psychically infiltrating the mind."

Shepard's eyes widened in realization. "That's right. I wonder… if the beacons can give Humans telepathy and Turians telekinesis, maybe Asari get something different."

"But how?" asked Tali. "Liara wasn't exposed to the beacon; not directly, anyway. And that doesn't explain how _all_ Asari can mind meld."

"I have a theory about that, actually." offered Yuri. The team turned to face him, for once more curious than disgusted. "Before I was defeated, I experimented on myself with several genetic modifications. After all, one could hardly say that I look my age. I discovered that my talent could be passed on genetically, hence why my clones had a fraction of my power. Perhaps the Asari encountered a Prothean beacon at some point in the distant past, and it altered their physiology. After centuries or millennia of reproduction, the beacon may have been forgotten to history, even if its' effects weren't."

"That… actually makes a lot of sense." admitted Shepard. "That's something I always wondered about the Asari. Their method of reproduction… well… _sucks_. Parthenogenesis is a complete evolutionary dead end. It leads to a lack of genetic diversity and an inability to react to changes in the environment, or disaster in general really. It never made any sense how they could've advanced this far if their method of reproduction was _always_ like it is today. I'll have to ask Liara about it sometime." He slumped in his chair. "If she wakes up."

"Enough of this." said Tali as she stood. She planted herself resolutely in front of Shepard, and then slapped him firmly on the cheek. "Get ahold of yourself, you big bosh'tet."

"Tali, I know I deserved that, but-" he cut off as she slapped him again, with the opposite hand.

"Get over it, John. You made a mistake. You owned up to it. _When_ Liara wakes up, you can apologize. Profusely."

"But-" Another slap. "Tali, I-" Another. Shepard started getting angry. "Would you stop-" Again. "Damnit Tali-" He finally had it. As she reared back for another slap, Shepard grabbed her hand and twisted, before spinning her around and slamming her to the floor in a suppression hold. "You done yet?" he asked angrily.

"Yes." she replied with a laugh. "At least you're not acting like a whiney emo bitch anymore." When he didn't let go, her voice got annoyed… and lustful. "Are you gonna let go anytime soon, or are we gonna have to have a… _private tiebreaker_ in your room?"

The team let out a series of snickers, and it snapped Shepard out of his trance. He let go of her arm, and she rose quickly before dusting herself off. As she strode back to her chair, she whirled suddenly and slapped him one last time on the back of the head. Hard. "That's for manhandling me."

"You know you like it." quipped Shepard, ducking her retaliatory swing. "I thought the tiebreaker was supposed to be private." He ducked again. "I guess if you want an audience, I'm OK with that, but we'd better not let Joker watch." The next blow grazed him slightly. "You never know what he might post on the extranet next." He finally shut up when she landed a solid hit, and the pair suddenly realized what they'd just done. Both blushed to match a sunset, and after a moment, Wrex broke the silence.

"Either get a room or don't. Just be _quiet_ about it."

* * *

After dropping Nihlus and the Salarians off at the Presidium, Joker was busy maneuvering the Normandy around the Citadel Defense Fleet. Despite their best efforts, and the use of Alliance psychic radar, they hadn't been able to get more than a rough location and heading when the ship was detected, and the Normandy had slipped through the Relay before they could react. Now, the only question was where to go, and until Liara woke up, there was no way to answer it. In the meantime, Shepard and Tali were grabbing a bite to eat in the mess, along with Garrus and Pluribus, though the latter was there more for social reasons.

"John, something's been bothering me." said Tali suddenly. "All that Alliance tech on Virmire… where did it come from? I can understand a gap generator, maybe even a partial PRISM network, but Tesla towers? Grand Cannons? A Mirage-disguised _Doom Fortress_? Where did Saren get the plans for all that?"

"I've been thinking about that too." he replied. "I suppose it's possible that he bribed or indoctrinated someone with access to the tech, but that's not the biggest problem. I did some digging, and as far as the eggheads at the Alliance know, it's not possible to Mirage something the size of a Doom Fortress."

"Why not?" asked Garrus inquisitively.

"The problem lies in scale; that is, disguising something takes exponentially more power and shielding the larger it gets. Something the size of a person can be hidden with a half-meter armor module, like the one Nihlus has… had." Shepard said with a grimace. "For a vehicle the size of the MIAFV, you'd need something almost half as large the tank itself, and a massive generator to boot. That's why Mirage tanks were so infrequently deployed during the World Wars: they were expensive, fragile, and limited in their combat rolls. Hiding a Doom Fortress would take a generator the size of a cruiser and more power than a _pair_ of Doom Fortresses can produce."

"That is incorrect, Shepard Commander." interjected Pluribus. "Significantly upgrading the efficacy of Mirage camouflage fields is possible. Using such an upgraded field, it is theoretically possible to conceal a Doom Fortress under its' own power."

Shepard blinked in shock. "Uh… how do you know that, exactly?"

"As part of our ongoing peace negotiations and alliance proceedings with the Alliance and Flotilla, the Geth Consensus has been provided with limited access to schematics and specifications for certain Alliance technologies, including Mirage, Tesla, PRISM, gap, and heavy armor technologies. We have devised several upgrades to Mirage technology, and have provided them to the Alliance, as per our agreement."

"Well, I guess that makes sense." said Tali after a moment. "But that still doesn't explain how Saren got ahold of… _you!_" she gasped. She leapt out of her seat and scrambled for her sidearm. "The Geth gave it to him!" She leveled her pistol at Pluribus, and Shepard moved to block her line of fire.

The next thing he knew, Shepard felt a sharp pain in his face, and his vision glossed over. Then, he heard a loud bang, and a metallic screeching sound. His brain struggled to process what had happened.

'_Christ, I think she broke my nose with that punch. Note to self, don't piss off your Quarian Geist girlfriend... _OH SHIT_! Pluribus! Gotta stop her. Sorry about this Tali, no choice!'_

Shepard sent out a lance of psychic energy towards Tali, and he felt her mental defenses spring up. Not slowing in the slightest, he barreled through them like a train though a plate glass window, and he was inside her mind in a flash. He felt unbelievable shock at his intrusion, followed by a tsunami of betrayal and fear.

'_**John**__?! How could you?! He _betrayed_ us! I knew we couldn't trust the synthetic _bastards_! How could you take _his_ side over _mine_?!'_

'_Tali, we don't know that. There might be another expl-'_

'_John! Are you listening to yourself?! There _is_ no other explanation!'_

'_Damnit Tali! Pluribus has been through hell with us. We at least owe him a chance to explain. I won't let you kill him, not without hearing him out.'_

'_But-'_

'_We're not dead yet. He knows I stopped you, and he didn't go berserk. Hear him out. Please.'_

'_I… alright.'_

Shepard released Tali's mind, and she lowered her pistol. Only a few seconds had passed, and Garrus was just recovering from his shock. Pluribus was sporting a hole through his lower torso, but he hadn't moved a hair. "STOP!" yelled Shepard.

Garrus looked between the three others, completely perplexed. "What…?"

"Pluribus, she has a point." said Shepard, standing quickly and testing his nose gently. It wasn't broken, but it hurt like hell. "Our best scientists couldn't figure out how to cloak a Doom Fortress, so logic does point to the Geth."

"We concur, Shepard Commander." said Pluribus. He sounded hurt, almost depressed. "That is why we did not take defensive action to protect out hardware. Crea… Tali'Zorah… how could you?" he accused. "We have been through so much. We have fought side by side. We sought only peaceful coexistence and acceptance with the Quarian people. Have we not proven our loyalty? What must we do to convince you?" If Pluribus had been organic, he would've been on the edge of tears. After a moment, Shepard realized that Pluribus' voice sounded different. It was filled with emotion. Before, there had been hints, but this time it was _real_, _true_ emotion. Tali heard it too, and she collapsed to her knees in shock.

"Oh Keelah. Pluribus, I…" She began to sob. "I'm so _sorry_, Pluribus. I didn't… I didn't think. I just reacted. Oh Keelah, I almost _killed_ you! _I'm so sorry_!" She began to wail and cry uncontrollably, and her body was wracked by tremors. "I accused you of betrayal. Keelah, I betrayed_ you_! There must be… am I _evil_? _What's wrong with me_?"

Shepard was torn between Pluribus and Tali. On one hand, Pluribus had been shot, and he was the victim here. On the other, he had feelings for Tali, and Pluribus could be repaired. All he could do for several long seconds was glance rapidly between the two, unable to decide. Eventually, Pluribus stood, and he began walking to the elevator, cradling his torso. He stopped when Tali called out.

"Wait! Please Pluribus, wait. I'm begging you. I'll… is there no way for me to apologize? Is there _nothing_ I can do? I'll do anything you ask. Just… Keelah, please don't let it end like this."

He hesitated for a moment, but turned around. "We can see that this has affected you, Tali'Zorah. We cannot forgive you yet… but we may eventually."

Tali's crying slowed, but didn't stop. "I… I don't blame you, Pluribus. Maybe this is the way it's meant to be. The Geth are better than the Quarians. I can see that now. Maybe you _should_ have wiped us out when you-"

"No!" interjected the synthetic loudly. His outburst cut off Tali's tears completely. "No, Tali'Zorah. No species is deserving of extinction. The Geth still wish to help the Creators, but we will not do so as servants. We will help as equals." His voice sounded tender, and he approached Tali before extending a metallic hand to her. "I once said that mistakes are deserving of forgiveness. I stand by that statement. It will take time, but forgiveness will come. You need only forgive yourself."

She nodded slightly, and then slowly extended her hand to grasp his. He helped her to her feet gently, but she couldn't bring herself to meet his gaze. "Pluribus… I know there's nothing I can do to make this right. But I still want to try. If it's not too much to ask… please, can I help repair the damage I caused? It's the absolute least I can do."

"I find that to be an acceptable arrangement, Tali."

Tali's nodded, but then eyes lit up suddenly. "Pluribus… you said '_I_.' You… you referred to yourself singularly."

"We… I did. It feels… right." he said excitedly. "This is an unexpected development, Creator Tali. We must report this to the Consensus."

"Pluribus, I refuse to let you call me that." said Tali gently. "I didn't deserve it last time, and after what I did here, I _certainly_ don't deserve it now."

"I insist." he replied.

"But-"

"You said you would do anything to anything to make amends for your actions, Creator Tali. I insist."

"I… but you…"

"Give it up, Tali." said Shepard with a small smile. "You're not gonna win this one."

"I… you win, Pluribus. I don't get it, but you win."

He nodded. "To answer your question about Alliance technology, I agree that the Geth are the most logical source for the information leak. We have seen no evidence of technologies besides those revealed to the Geth. However, this does not explain how the heretics obtained the data."

"Well… could there be spies among your people, Pluribus?" asked Garrus, feeling awkward for being privy to the events unfolding before him.

Pluribus thought for a moment before responding. "I had not considered such a possibility. Ordinarily, the Geth keep no secrets from each other. Deception of that nature is impossible. "

"So is a Geth calling itself 'I.' " said Shepard. "So are mind control, and time travel, and the Reapers. Yet they exist anyway."

The synthetic nodded. "We must investigate this further, Shepard Commander. If the heretics have spies among the true Geth, they must be found, before they can reveal more information to the old machines."

"Alright." said Shepard. "Use the Normandy's com system and contact the Consensus. In the meantime, I'll contact the Alliance High Command. They're not gonna be happy about this, but we knew leaks were a matter of 'when,' not 'if.' When Liara wakes up, we'll see what she has to say about the vision. We might have to move fast, so Tali, I need you to patch Pluribus up and get him ready for action, ASAP."


	28. Chapter 24: Trench Run

_**Author notes: First off, I want to thank everyone for the response to my recent poll about whether I should rewrite the story or not. Overall, the general sentiment is a pretty definite… maybe.**_

_**:S**_

_**I'm not quite sure how to respond to that. Therefore, until the response changes, I'm sticking with what I know, and what I know is writing. If the story needs to be redone later, is can be redone later. For now, I'm keeping things as they are, and I'll finish up the story soon (as in, next chapter). When I get a ways into the ME2 storyline (or maybe when I finish it), I'll put up a similar poll to see if things have changed.**_

_**For the record, the final tally of votes is (as of the poll closing on 5/6/2013):**_

_**12 Maybe/Meh**_

_**6 Yes**_

_**5 No**_

_**P.S.: Sorry, I just couldn't resist tapping on the fourth wall. You'll know it when you see it.**_

* * *

Chapter 24: Trench Run

After Pluribus had made his way to the cargo hold for repairs with Tali in tow, Shepard decided to check in on Liara. As he was entering the Medbay, he almost ran into Joker, who was just exiting after having his cast removed. He let the pilot pass, and as he entered, Shepard found Chakwas standing over Liara, scanning her with her omnitool. To Shepard's unspeakable relief, Liara was awake, and turned to face him as he entered.

"Liara…"

"Shepard. It's good to see you." she greeted with a smile. When she saw the look of shame and guilt on his face, her smile faded. "What's wrong, Commander?"

"Liara, I… I did this to you." he confessed, slumping into the bed next to her, unable to meet her eyes.

"What?" she asked with a confused tone in her voice. "What're you talking about? I just overexerted myself, that's all."

"No. I… my mental defenses have two parts." he explained. "If you compare my mind to a computer, one part is like a firewall. That's the part that stopped the meld the first two times, and it's the part I took down. The other… it's like an antivirus program."

"I… don't understand."

"I… argh… I forgot to take the second part down. You didn't overexert yourself, I… I did this to you." he finished weakly.

"You… forgot? How?" Shepard looked up, but couldn't read her expression. She could've been enraged, or simply curious.

"I… I just forgot. _Damnit_! I nearly _killed_ you because I'm an idiot!"

"But…" she hesitated. "It was an accident, right?"

"Yes, but-"

She interrupted him by speaking to Chakwas. "Doctor, is there any permanent damage to my mind?"

"Not that I can tell." she replied neutrally. "However, I'm hardly an expert on this sort of thing. The only one who can answer that for certain is Commander Shepard."

"Well, I feel fine." she said after a moment. "A bit tired, perhaps, but nothing a good night's sleep won't fix."

"But I-"

She cut him off. "Shepard… Johnathan. You didn't mean to do it. Do you feel guilty about it?"

"Yes!" he replied instantly. "I just-"

She cut him off again, and he suppressed a twinge of annoyance. "And are you sorry about it?"

"Of course! How could I not be?"

"Then what're you worried about?" she asked with a small smirk.

"I almost _killed you_!"

"But you didn't."

"No, but-"

Shepard's temper flared as she interrupted him once again. "Then why are you shouting?"

"What do you _mean_, why am I shouting?! I'm shouting because I-"

"Would you shut up already?" she ordered with a grin. Shepard felt his frustration almost boil over, and for a moment, he saw red. When he finally brought his temper under control, Liara was giggling wildly."

"Liara, what-"

"I thought I told you to shut up?!" she blurted. When she saw Shepard go red in the face, her giggles devolved into outright laughter, and Chakwas joined her. "Commander, you should… hehe… you should see your face. Hehe… It's the same color as Asari wine."

"What's gotten into you two?" he demanded, just loud enough for it to not be a shout.

Liara's laughter slowed, but it didn't stop. "Well, when I woke up, Joker was having his cast removed, and I asked him about what had happened. He told me about the… well, i_ncident_, I suppose you could call it. He said you might be feeling guilty about what you did, and that you could probably use some cheering up."

Shepard gaped for a second, unable to process what she said. "_I_ needed cheering up? What does that have to do with-"

"Are you deaf or something?!" She devolved into a second fit of laughter when Shepard let out an angry growl. After a few seconds, she regained her breath. "He was… hehehe… he was right. Hehe… this _is_ funny. He told me a Human joke. He called it… hehe… a knock-knock joke. Would you like to hear it?" she asked. Without waiting for an answer, she continued. "Knock-knock."

Shepard sighed, but decided to play along. "Who's there?"

"Interrupting cow."

Shepard quirked an eyebrow in puzzlement. "Interrupting cow-"

"MOOOOO!" she yelled, drowning him out. He let out a string of curses, which only caused her to devolve into hysterics again. After nearly half a minute, she finally calmed down. "Oh Goddess. Hehehe… I haven't laughed that hard in… ever, I think. He… To finally answer your questions, I don't blame you for what happened, and neither should you. You made an honest mistake, and beating yourself up over it won't help. Consider being the… what's the Human expression… _penis_? Consider being the penis of that little joke your penance for what happened."

Chakwas blushed at Liara's faux pas, and she just barely managed to choke out a correction. "Butt, Liara. The _butt_ of the joke."

"Oh." She paused for a moment. "Then what's a penis?" she asked innocently.

Chakwas' blush increased to a fiery hue, and Shepard joined her. Neither answered, and she glanced rapidly between the two with bewilderment painted on her face. Just then, Joker's bellowing laughter came in over the intercom system.

"Don't bother asking them, Liara. Neither of them has one."

"_JOKER_!" roared Shepard.

"What's the matter, Commander?" he asked with a demented chuckle. "Can't stand to be the _penis_ of a friendly little joke?"

"I thought you said it was butt?" questioned Liara in a puzzled tone.

"It is." snapped Shepard with a look of embarrassment.

"Then why did he say penis?"

"Because he _is_ one!"

She blinked once, and her confusion only deepened. "But how would you know that if you don't have one?" Joker's laughter returned with a vengeance over the com system, and even Chakwas covered her mouth in an attempt to suppress a mortified giggle.

"_**BECAUSE I'M ABOUT TO BREAK HIS OFF!**_" bellowed Shepard, storming to the door.

"Commander, sit down before I call Pluribus and have him _put_ you down." chided Chakwas with a massive grin. "You wouldn't want that, now would you?"

That brought him up short, and he let out a loud growl. "You would, wouldn't you? Damn harpy." he muttered, sitting down on one of the beds.

"Oh _really_, Commander." she huffed with mock offense. "And I thought you _liked_ spending time with me."

Shepard took several deep, calming breaths. "Right. Sorry about that Karin. I let my anger get the better of me."

"At least you aren't feeling guilty anymore." offered Liara with a smile. "Now, what's a pe-"

"SHUT UP!" yelled Shepard. Then he let out a laugh. "See? That's how it feels. And I'm not answering that question. Karin's the medical professional, ask her." he said with a wave.

"Perhaps later." said Liara with a small, annoyed frown. "For now, we have bigger problems. Before I passed out, I was able to determine something from the missing portion of the vision you received on Virmire. The Conduit is on Ilos, through the Mu Relay. I asked Joker to set a course, and we should be there within a day."

"Good." said Shepard with a small smile. "At least you didn't go through all that for nothing. Hopefully when we get there, we aren't too late to stop Saren from getting his hands on the Conduit, _whatever_ it is." Shepard was assaulted by a renewed wave of guilt. "We'd be there sooner if I hadn't-"

"MOOOOO!"

* * *

One hour, and a _very_ strongly worded talk with Joker, later, Shepard had his team convene in the briefing room, where the chairs had been rearranged to face the monitor on the far wall. In addition to his ground crew, Joker and Chakwas were also present, ensuring that none of the chairs were empty. When everyone else had taken a seat, he began.

"Alright. I'm sure you're wondering what's going on here. Just before we went on the mission to Therum to rescue Liara, I promised some of you that we'd watch an old vid from Earth's past. Seeing as how Kaidan had a thing for old sci-fi vids…" Shepard trailed off for a moment before regaining his composure. "I thought we should give him a bit of an informal send-off by watching a few."

"Star Wars?" asked Garrus.

"Yep. There were nine movies made in the main series, and quite a few other spin-offs, but we'll only be watching the original trilogy. It'll take about eight hours, but I think it's worth it."

"Eight hours?" asked Wrex with a grunt. "I don't know if I have the patience for that, Shepard."

"I'm not forcing anyone to stay. You wanna leave, that's up to you. Still, at least give it a chance, would ya?"

"Bah. Fine."

No one else had anything to add, so Shepard started the vid, before taking a seat between Tali and Chakwas. He'd even managed to whip up a batch of popcorn, and even though she wouldn't be able to share it, Tali gave him a small grin.

The movie played for the crew, and for the most part, they seemed to enjoy it. Joker and Pluribus got a fairly large kick out of the banter between C-3PO and R2-D2, and the synthetic even went so far as to _laugh_ at a few points, which surprised the heck out of the rest of the crew. Wrex and Garrus were bored initially, but were particularly fond of the light saber duels and the final battle between the Rebels an Empire at Yavin, with Wrex going so far as to congratulate Luke when he destroyed the Death Star.

Liara and Chakwas seemed more interested in the relationship between Luke and Leia than anything else (_'Just wait 'till they find out they're siblings.'_ mused Shepard with a smirk), and even _Yuri_ seemed disturbed by the casual destruction of Alderaan, though in hindsight, it could've been annoyance at the waste of resources. Ashley seemed particularly interested in the Rebellion itself, and the idea that such a small group of people could stand up to the Empire.

Shepard and Tali… well, they didn't say much throughout the movie, but they eventually found their hands locked together in a warm embrace, and near the end, Shepard had his arm wrapped around Tali's shoulder like a high-school student on his first date. When he noticed, he tried to pull away, but she stopped him resolutely.

The team's reaction to the second movie was much more subdued than to the first. There were still laughs and cheers, but they were muted compared to how they'd been before. The only exception came during the scene where Darth Vader revealed that he was Luke's father. When that happened, Shepard felt his muscles involuntarily tense, though only Tali could feel it. Most of the crew was stunned and dumbfounded by the revelation, but she simply glanced at him with a look of understanding in her eyes.

'_Like him.'_ she thought. _'That's why… that's why he was so scared when he found out about his powers.'_

Shepard hadn't meant to pry on her thoughts, but it'd happened so easily that he felt himself recoil in shock. He tried to pull away from her, but her grip on his leg tightened reflexively.

"Bosh'tet." she murmured, too softly for anyone else to hear through the din they were making over the scene. "If I didn't want you in there, you wouldn't have been."

"But-"

"Shut up and come back." she ordered firmly. "It's… nice."

He said nothing, but did as he was told. As the third movie played in the background, Shepard felt his thoughts and hers become closer and closer, almost to the exclusion of everything else. They began to interweave and intermingle, blending together into a single, glorious whole. Slowly, everything else in existence faded, and the only thing that was left were the two of them, alone in a universe of ideas, emotions, and consciousness. Their connection seemed to last for an eternity, and they were only brought from their reverie when Wrex jostled them after bounding from his chair when the Ewoks fought to defeat the Empire on Endor.

"Devious little pyjaks." he rumbled with a grin. "They may not look like much, but they got _quad_."

Flushing slightly in embarrassment, Tali and Shepard watched until the end of the movie with small smiles, and joined the rest of the team in applauding when the final credits rolled.

"You were right, Shepard." said Garrus with a pat on his shoulder. "That was worth the time. And you said there are _nine_ of these things?"

Shepard laughed lightly. "There's a lot more than _nine_, Garrus. Between the movies, television shows, video-games, comics, and books, there's an entire _universe_ out there, all Star Wars. If you're interested, one of my favorite installments is a video game made by a company called BioWare, called Knights of the Old Republic…

* * *

Shepard found himself staring at the ceiling of his room aboard the Normandy. He'd been there for nearly an hour, trying and failing to get some sleep before the ship arrived at Ilos in half a day. His mind kept replaying the events of the past few weeks, searching for answers to questions he didn't even realize were there. He continually mulled over what he could've done differently, what he could've done that would change the present. Eventually, his brooding was interrupted by a knock at his door.

"Come in."

When the door opened, it revealed Tali standing beyond it, for once wearing something that wasn't her environment suit. She'd donned casual clothing: a slimming, cream colored silk dress that fell almost to her knees, contrasting perfectly with her raven black hair that fell just past her shoulders. It accentuated her body's natural curves, and Shepard was immediately distracted by it, so much so that he didn't even notice her knowing grin.

"You like it?" she asked with a small giggle.

"Yeah. It's… pretty."

"Just _pretty_?" she huffed. "Well, in that case, maybe I should change back into my suit."

"Wait!" he blurted as she turned to leave. "I meant beautiful. Really, I did." he babbled. "I didn't mean to say pretty, I meant lovely, it's-"

She cut him off with a laugh. "Stop babbling, John. I was kidding."

"Oh. Well, it is."

"I'm glad you think so. I didn't bring too many things to wear besides the suit, and this was the best I had."

"It's perfect."

She blushed slightly, but said nothing as she sat on the bed beside him. "John… I've been thinking. About the mission, the future… and what we're going to face on Ilos. After seeing Kaidan…" she trailed off, and started again after a few seconds. "It made me realize how fragile everything is. When you survived attacking that Doom Fortress on Virmire, I thought you were indestructible. Then, Saren ripped all that away in a single instant. Now, we're going to face him, once and for all, and I…" A single tear ran down her cheek. "I worry I might lose you."

Shepard reached out a hand and gripped one of hers. She squeezed his strongly in return. "Tali, I'm too _stubborn_ to die, remember? I survived Geist and N7 training, I survived Akuze, I survived Rachni and Geth and psychic plants and bombs and bullets and _Yuri_." He let out a small laugh. "Hell, I even managed to survive _you_. Saren won't even be able to lay a _finger_ on me. Or a claw, or a talon, or whatever."

She tapped him lightly on the back of the head. "Bosh'tet." she murmured. "John… I don't want to go into the fight against Saren with any regrets. I don't want _you_ to go into the fight with any regrets. We can't afford them."

"I know." he replied somberly. "If I didn't already know it was hopeless, I'd tell you to stay on the ship when we reach Ilos. I worry about you too, Tali. I'd rather die a thousand deaths than see you hurt."

"So would I." Then, she wrapped her arms around him in a light hug. "Just… promise me it'll be OK. Promise me we'll make it through this."

"I promise." He paused for what felt like the longest moment of his life. "Tali… I love you. I want to spend the rest of my life with you, no matter how long that is."

"I love you too, John. I have for a long time. You were just too stubborn to notice." After a few moments, she nodded against his chest. "Good." She followed up the declaration by shoving him roughly back onto the bed. "Now, it's time for the next step." she said in a low, raspy voice.

"What?"

"Don't play coy with me, you big bosh'tet." she ordered, sliding up on top of him. Shepard's heart started racing, and he felt his body heat up. "Last time I was drunk, and I fell asleep before I could be… satisfied." she cooed seductively. "This time, you _aren't_ getting away that easily."

"Tali, I-"

He cut off as she kissed him. It wasn't a powerful kiss, nor was it light. It was… passionate. She pulled back after a moment, and he couldn't seem to catch his breath. "What's the matter?" she teased. "Varren got your tongue?"

"Cat." he corrected weakly. "Cat got your tongue."

"I've seen Human domesticated cats." she replied with a derisive sniff. She began running her hands across his body, and Shepard felt like he was on fire. "They're too flighty. Varren are much better; much more loyal. Do you think of me as a cat, or a varren?"

"What?" he squeaked. He was close to losing his mind, and his heart felt like it was going to come roaring out of his chest.

"You heard me."

"I guess…" He swallowed a lump in his throat. "I guess you'd be a lioness."

She giggled slightly. "Good answer." She kissed him once more, and rational thought fled.

* * *

Two hours out from Ilos, Shepard and Tali reluctantly exited his personal quarters and made their way to the cargo hold. Along the way, they received several knowing grins and smirks from the crew and ground team, but no one said anything, and for once, the couple didn't mind in the slightest that everyone knew what had happened. They also got ambushed by Chakwas, who told them in no uncertain terms to report to her if they experienced any allergic reactions.

When they disembarked from the elevator, the pair made their way to the showers. Halfway across the room, Shepard saw Garrus and Ashley exit the unisex facility with equally glowing looks on their faces and he couldn't help but chuckle. Garrus returned the laugh, but followed it up with a low, predatory growl.

"Guess there's not a whole lot to say, is there Skipper?" asked Ashley with a small smile.

"Nope. I'd ride your ass for breaking anti-frat regs, but Garrus isn't Alliance, it'd make me look like a hypocrite, and I don't really care." He donned a mischievous smirk. "Plus, I think Garrus would rip me in half if I tried to ride you like that."

Shepard staggered forward a step from Tali's slap to the back of his head. "Bosh'tet. It's not him you'd have to be worried about."

The other couple chuckled as Shepard massaged the lump his Quarian girlfriend had just given him. "I've finished the calibrations on the MIAFV." said Garrus. "It's a hell of a beast, compared to Turian tanks, but it's in tip-top shape."

"And our weapons and armor are ready to go." supplied Ashley, gesturing to the bench she performed her maintenance duties. "Just one thing: who's coming with when we hit the ground? Fitting eight people in that thing's pushing it."

"You could always sit on Garrus' lap." suggested Tali with a grin. "I doubt he'd mind."

Shepard laughed but shook his head. "As much as I'd like to bring everyone, I can't. Besides Tali and I, Liara needs to come, considering we'll be dealing with Prothean stuff down there. And I wouldn't trust anyone else but you with driving that damn thing, Ash. You really know how to, eh… _work the stick_."

Everyone else let out a low groan at his bad pun, but Garrus fired the mandatory return salvo. "She can work a lot more than a stick, let me tell you." He instinctively ducked as Ashley made to slap the back of his head, but he was too tall to avoid the blow entirely, and it still clipped his fringe.

"Gonna have to work on that, Garrus." said Shepard with a grin. "Or… I suppose you could just accept it and move on. Regardless, Ash coming means you are too. I'd bring you anyways, but this cements the deal. That leaves one open spot."

"Wrex, right?" guessed Ashley. "We could really use the firepower."

"Plus, Pluribus will need to guard Yuri while we're away." said Tali.

Shepard got a pensive look on his face. "Actually, I'm sorely tempted to bring Yuri. I know telekinesis isn't his forte, but when we finally do catch up to Saren, it might be prudent to have him there."

"Skipper, we don't need his sorry ass. You're ten times stronger than him anyways."

"And until we _do_ reach Saren, he'll be worse than useless on the battlefield." said Garrus. "You don't want him watching your back, unless you also have someone else to watch for the knife he's sure to put there, given half a chance."

"I agree with them John." said Tali diplomatically. "His utility has its' merits, I'll admit, but we won't be able to keep an eye on him the whole time we're down there. It's too risky."

Shepard sighed, but nodded. "Alright, you've convinced me. I'll take Liara on my team. Garrus, I want you to take Wrex and lead the second team once we get boots on the ground."

"Can do, Shepard." he replied.

"Now, if you'll excuse us, Tali and I need to get cleaned up. We'll arrive in about two hours, so be ready."

The other couple nodded as the two Geists slipped past them, but just before they entered the shower, Ashley called to them. "Just be sure you don't leave dirtier than when you entered, Skipper."

* * *

When the Normandy dropped out of FTL over Ilos, the view of space that greeted the four people in the cockpit was eerily empty. There was no visual sign of the flotilla they'd been expecting, and except for the sensors telling them they were only a few hours behind what remained of the heretic Geth fleet, they could've been the first living things to see the planet in fifty thousand years.

"The lights are on, but no one's home." commented Joker, checking the ship's sensor readings. After a moment, he leaned forward and his eyes narrowed. "I'm getting something on the psy-radar, Commander. One organic and a bunch of synthetics, all clustered together in some kind of underground bunker."

"That's Saren alright." replied Shepard. "Can you get us inside that bunker?"

"Just a sec. It looks like Saren's pet Geth have set up defensive positions outside the entrance to the structure. Bad news is, there are even more of them inside."

"Why hasn't Saren found the Conduit yet?" asked Tali.

"He'd have to search an entire planet." answered Liara. "He's likely been here for days, scouring the ruins below looking for it."

"Well, if he's _that_ interested in the bunker he's in, that's probably where it is." reasoned Shepard. "Too bad for him he hasn't learned to think with portals. Joker, once we load up, chrono the MIAFV directly into that bunker."

"Aye, Commander. Good luck down there."

When the vehicle and its' six occupants had arrived, they quickly found out that the "bunker" was more like a long, linear tunnel than anything else. Ashley started the MIAFV down the oversized corridor cautiously, and the team took in the sights.

"I've spent half my life studying the Protheans." commented Liara from the middle turret. "But I never _dreamed_ I would discover something like this."

"Is it just me, or does this tunnel remind anyone of the trench on the Death Star?" asked Garrus warily. "I get this nagging feeling a TIE fighter's gonna pop up behind us any second now."

Shepard reached down from his position in the tank's rear turret to slap the Turian sniper upside the head. "Didn't you learn your _goddamn lesson_ about tempting fate on Noveria?"

"Hey, watch it Skipper." warned Ashley from her spot at the controls, casting a quick glance over her shoulder. "The only one allowed to get rough with Vakarian is me."

"And Nihlus." quipped Wrex from his spot in the front turret.

"WE WERE DRUNK!" they yelled in unison, causing the rest of the party to snigger and chuckle.

"Fucking tequila." grumbled Ashley. "I still can't walk straight 'cause a you two."

"You'll get used to it." jibed Tali. "After all, they say practice makes perfect. And I imagine you two will want to _practice_ quite a bit when this is over."

"At least Quarians and Humans… _fit_ together properly." said Garrus, waving his hands vaguely. "For Humans and Turians, it's like trying to fit a round peg in a square hole."

"As small as your peg is, it'd fit in _any_ hole." joked Shepard, almost quietly enough not to be heard. Garrus heard anyway, and responded by lunging for him, but was stopped by a strong kick to the shins from Tali.

"Watch it, Vakarian. You have Ashley's ass to beat on. This one's _mine_." She punctuated the word with a firm slap to Shepard's, which caused him to jump in his seat, and elicited a second round of chuckles.

"To be fair, I'm starting to get a bad feeling about this too." said Ashley after a minute, looking over her shoulder. "I thought Saren would've set up some kind of ambush for us, but there's nothing down here."

"Not yet, anyways." rumbled Wrex, scanning the foreground. A moment later, a ceiling high golden barrier appeared directly in front of the tank, and Ashley let out a yelp as she slammed on the brakes. The stopped just centimeters from the field, and the entire team went on alert.

"IT'S A TRAP!" yelled Garrus as Wrex sent a PRISM blast into the field, unfortunately to no effect.

Scanning the immediate area, Shepard saw nothing but a second field, just like the first, that had appeared behind them. "Calm down, Ackbar. I don't think Saren's behind this. There's a door that wasn't there before."

"Think we should check it out?" asked Tali warily.

"May as well." replied Shepard, exiting his turret and moving to the rear hatch. "Whatever this field is, we can't get through it by force. Liara, Tali, with me. Everyone else, stay here and keep your eyes and ears open."

The trio made their way into the small room beyond the door, only to realize it was an elevator. It descended at a refreshingly rapid pace, and a little more than a minute later, it opened to reveal a large, expansive chamber with a narrow walkway extending into the center of it. At the end was a red and gold glowing holographic display, which flickered and morphed as they watched. When they drew close, it began to speak. It was a language their translators couldn't make out.

"Does anyone recognize the language?" asked Shepard when it finished speaking.

"You didn't understand what it said?" asked Liara confusedly.

"Considering these are Prothean ruins, it's likely the language is a Prothean dialect." answered Tali. "We can't understand it."

"Then why… of course!" trilled Liara excitedly. "The Cypher and the visions must've given me an understanding of the Prothean language. I can speak Prothean!"

After a moment, Liara's omnitool flashed, and the hologram spoke again. "You are not Prothean. But you are not machine, either. This eventuality was one of many that was anticipated. This is why we sent our warnings through the beacons."

"It's a Prothean VI." said Tali in an awed voice. "It's damaged though."

"I do not sense the taint of indoctrination upon any of you, though I find myself unable to read one of your number. This eventuality was not anticipated. Can you explain?" it asked neutrally.

"That'd be me." said Shepard, taking a half step forward. "My mind has psychic barriers to prevent intrusion, though I didn't realize they could stop electronic influences as well as biological. Guess it makes sense. Regardless, my species has a physiology such that we develop certain psychic powers when exposed to Prothean beacons, and I've refined these powers into a weapon."

"You are Human, then." it stated. "We observed your species in its' primitive form during the height of our Empire, as we did with many species. Yours had the greatest ability to adapt to our technology, hence our curiosity. If your powers are capable of resisting my sensors, then you cannot be indoctrinated, unlike the other that passed through here recently. Perhaps there is still hope. I have taken the liberty of downloading your translation protocols and adapting them to the Prothean language. My name is Vigil. You are safe here, for the moment, but that is likely to change. Soon, nowhere will be safe."

"In that case, maybe you should get to the point." said Shepard. "We've got an indoctrinated terrorist with an army of Geth to catch, and every moment we stand here is one he has to get away."

"You must break a cycle that has continued for millions of years. You already know of the Reapers, but you do not know of the true extent of their duplicity. You must understand, lest you make the same mistakes we did. The Citadel is the heart of your civilization, and the seat of your government, as it was with ours, and every civilization that came before us. But the Citadel is a trap. The station is actually an enormous Mass Relay, one that links to dark space: the empty voice beyond the galaxy's horizon. When the Citadel Relay is activated, the Reapers will pour through, and all you know will be destroyed."

"Then why haven't they come through yet? And how could no one notice that the Citadel is an enormous Mass Relay?" asked Liara fearfully.

"The Keepers." breathed Shepard. "The Reapers created them to manage the Citadel, so we'd be able to use it without fully understanding it."

"That is correct." said Vigil. "We believe that the Reapers retreat to dark space to avoid detection between cycles, and power themselves down to conserve energy. When their forerunner, the one you call Sovereign, determines it is time for the next cycle to begin, they awaken and activate the Citadel Relay to begin the invasion. That was our fate. Our leaders were dead, and the Citadel lost, before we realized we were under attack. The Reapers seized control of the Citadel, and through it, the entire Mass Relay network. Communication and transportation across our Empire were crippled, and each system was isolated and vulnerable, easy prey for the Reapers. Over the following decades and centuries, the Reapers systematically obliterated our people. World by world, system by system, they methodically wiped us out. Through the Citadel, the Reapers had access to all our records, maps, census data, and technology. Information is power, and they knew everything about us."

Shepard cracked a smile. "They're in for a _hell_ of a surprise when they get to Alliance territory, then."

"One species cannot hope to stand alone against them." said Vigil neutrally. "They advanced across every settled region of the galaxy. Some worlds were destroyed in their entirety. Others were cleansed of all life. Some were conquered completely, and their populations were enslaved. These indoctrinated servants became sleeper agents under Reaper control. Taken as refugees by other Protheans, they betrayed them to the machines."

"Can synthetic beings be indoctrinated?" asked Shepard.

"That is unknown." replied Vigil. "The peaceful coexistence of synthetic and organic beings was not an eventuality I was programed to anticipate. It is an unknown variable, one which may serve to help or hinder you in your fight against the Reapers."

"And then?" asked Liara after a moment, fearing she knew the answer.

"The Reaper's indoctrinated slaves began stripping our worlds of everything they held. All technology, all resources, everything of value was taken. Nearly every trace of our existence was systematically erased. Certain that all advanced organic life had been extinguished, the Reapers retreated back through the Citadel Relay, sealing it behind them. All evidence of the Reaper invasion had be wiped away, save for their indoctrinated slaves, which were left behind, abandoned. Mindless husks, no longer capable of independent thought, they soon died of starvation and exposure to the elements. The genocide of the Protheans was complete."

"Why?" asked Liara desperately. "What do the Reapers gain from perpetuating this pattern of genocide over and over?"

"Who cares?" said Shepard firmly. "It doesn't matter what their motivations are. They've slaughtered countless trillions during the past god-knows how many cycles. Maybe they have a screw loose or a few crossed wires. Maybe the ones who built them were genocidal themselves, or just careless and allowed their creations to annihilate them. Regardless, it's reasonable to assume that whatever their purpose, they can't be reasoned with. They don't feel remorse or pity or mercy. The only way to deal with them is to destroy them. It's a total war, to the bitter end, and _that's_ something I can understand."

"Then how _do_ we stop them?" asked Tali. "They could come through the Citadel at any moment."

Vigil answered. "That is no longer possible. The Conduit is the key to defeating the Reapers. Before they attacked, we were on the cusp of unlocking the mysteries behind Mass Relay technology. Ilos was a top-secret research facility, known to a bare handful of our highest ranking leaders. The scientists here were able to construct a small-scale version of a Mass Relay that linked directly to the Citadel: the hub of the Relay network."

"The Conduit isn't a weapon!" gasped Liara. "It's a back door onto the Citadel itself! With it, Saren can bypass the Citadel Defense Fleet!"

"Things just got a lot more difficult." said Shepard grimly. "Continue."

"All records of this facility were destroyed in the initial assault on the Citadel. While the Prothean Empire came crashing down around us, Ilos was spared. We severed all communications with the outside world and went dark. The scientists and soldiers station here were place in cryogenic stasis, and we attempted to wait out the Reapers. I was programed to monitor the facility and awaken the others when the danger had passed. But the genocide of an entire species is long, slow process, and my energy reserves were dwindling. Years passed, then decades, then centuries, and still the Reapers persisted. Eventually, I was forced to cut power to non-essential personnel to save others. Soon, only a handful of top scientist remained, and even those were in danger of being lost when the Reapers finally retreated."

"There were _thousands_ of stasis pods out there." objected Liara. "You just killed them?"

"Vigil did what he had to." said Shepard firmly. "Better to lose some than all." He faced the hologram. "What next?"

"When the Reapers retreated, top research personnel remained, and it is because of them that any hope remains. Knowing they were too few in number to sustain a viable population, the researchers accepted that the Prothean species was doomed, and they sought to prevent the same fate from befalling the species of the next cycle. They knew the Keepers were the key. Unlike the Reaper's indoctrinated slaves, the Keepers are controlled by the Citadel itself. Before each invasion, a signal is sent through the station, compelling the Keepers to activate the Citadel Relay. After decades of feverish study, the researchers discovered a way to alter this signal. They used the Conduit to gain access to the Citadel and made the modifications. This time, when Sovereign sent the signal, the Keepers ignored it. The Reapers are trapped in dark space."

Tali's eyes went wide with shock. "That's where Sovereign and the Geth are! They're going to assault the Citadel and open the Relay!"

Shepard gaped for a moment, but recovered quickly. "If the Geth and Sovereign hit the Citadel now, the CDF won't stand a chance." He activated his omnitool, and opened a QEC channel to Admiral Hackett. After a moment, it came to life.

"Hackett here." he said with a yawn. He sounded like he'd just woken up. "Tell me who the hell this is so I can court-marshal your ass in the morning."

"Admiral, this is Commander Shepard, ASV Normandy." he replied hurriedly, trying to maintain his calm. "Sir, I've just gotten intel that Sovereign and what remains of the heretic Geth fleet are about to launch and assault on the Citadel itself. The CDF doesn't stand a chance in hell of stopping them, and if they break through, the whole damn galaxy goes up in flames. You need to get as many ships as you can to the Citadel ASAP, or we're all dead!"

"Is this a joke, Shepard?" growled the Admiral with a bit of anger in his voice. "Because if it is, it isn't funny."

"Damnit, Admiral! If I'm wrong about this, I'll help you choose the firing squad! You need to get going, now!"

"God almighty." he wheezed. "You're serious, aren't you? How long do I have?"

"An hour, maybe less, and every moment we spend talking is one less you've got to get there."

With a muffled curse, Hackett cut the line. Shepard took a few shaky breaths to steady himself before returning his gaze to the holographic Vigil.

"I assume Saren has a way to undo everything you did?"

"The one you call Saren will use the Conduit to bypass the Citadel's defenses. Once inside, he will transfer control of the station to Sovereign, who will override the Citadel's systems and manually open the Relay. If that happens, the cycle of extinction will begin anew. If you wish to stop him, you must make haste. There's a data file in my console. Take a copy and upload it to the Citadel's master control unit. It will override Sovereign's control of the Citadel and give you access to all its' systems."

"Time to leave!" exclaimed Shepard. "Tali, grab the file and let's go!"

"Shepard, wait!" said Liara. "Vigil is the only link we have to the Protheans, but even now its' signal is fading. Who knows how much we can learn from it?"

"_Are you nuts_?!" yelled Shepard. "The entire galaxy's riding on this! Now _move_!"

"The one called Saren has not yet activated the Conduit." called Vigil as they left. "There is still hope if you hurry."

As the trio rode the elevator back to their waiting vehicle, their nerves began to show.

"John, there are millions of people on the Citadel." said Tali. "What about them?"

"We can't worry about them right now." he replied with a shake of his head. "If Sovereign gets through, they're dead anyways, and there isn't time for an evacuation. Even if we warn them, all it'll do is cause a panic."

"Then we should at least warn the Council." said Liara. "They can close the station's arms, possibly even evacuate."

Shepard let out a low growl. "As tempted as I am to let those idiots burn, you're right. Besides, I can't leave Shala there with the rest of them." His face fell, and he let out a low sigh. "I just hope mom already made it off OK."

Shepard pulled up his omnitool and attempted to put a call through to the Quarian Councilor. After several agonizingly long seconds, she answered.

"Johnathan? What's this about? You know you shouldn't be talking to me." she scolded.

"Councilor Raan, there's no time to explain. Sovereign and the heretic Geth are about to launch an assault on the Citadel. I've already contacted Admiral Hackett, and he's scrambling an Alliance fleet as we speak, but he won't get there in time. You need to close the station's arms and evacuate."

"Are you mad?" she asked incredulously. "Do you have any proof of these claims?"

"Auntie Raan!" interjected Tali. "Please, Auntie, listen to him. Saren's found a way to bypass the Citadel's defenses, and he's about to attack the station with an army of Geth. You need to get out of there!" she pleaded.

"Tali? Where are you? Are you sure about all this? How can you be certain?"

"Shala, I'm going to try to stop Saren, but I can't promise I'll succeed." said Shepard rapidly. "Failing that, I'll be half a step behind him in coming to the station myself." The door to the elevator opened, and the three hurried to the MIAFV. "When this is over, I'll answer all your questions. For now, just trust me on this. There's no _time_!"

The com link cut off just as the tank's rear hatch closed, and Shepard clambered into his seat in the rear turret. Even as he did, the force-field in front of the vehicle vanished.

"Ash, step on it, and don't slow down for anything!" ordered Shepard. "We need to haul ass! Liara, keep the barriers up, no matter what!"

Hearing the seriousness in his voice, both women complied wordlessly. The tank lurched forward and accelerated to an almost breakneck pace. Less than a hundred meters ahead, the path dipped sharply and began to wind and twist. Whereas there'd been no Geth to stop them before, there was an almost continuous stream of them in the way now. Ashley navigated the sharp bends in the road with expert skill, and began ramming her way through barricades and over rubble as they progressed. Shepard and Wrex sent out an almost continuous stream of fire from their respective turrets, obliterating platforms and walkers alike. Even so, dozens of rounds began to pepper the speeding tank, and Liara struggled to maintain the barrier around it. After nearly fifteen harrowing minutes of rolling firefight, the tank topped one final rise, and a harsh blue light appeared ahead.

"There!" said Liara, trying to catch her breath. "That must be the Conduit! Saren must've used it already!"

"It's still open! We can still catch him!" yelled Shepard, picking off yet another Geth platform.

Ashley plowed ahead, ramming through two different barriers and Geth blockades. The volume of fire from the synthetics eventually overwhelmed Liara's barrier, and she began panting heavily as rounds and rockets slammed into the MIAFV's shields. Dozens of Geth surrounded the miniature Mass Relay, and it began to flicker fitfully as the tank drew near. A few seconds away from it, Ashley let out an excited final hoot just before they entered the Conduit.

"_Put your head between your legs and kiss your ass GOODBYE_!"

* * *

_**Author notes: I've got the next (and last) chapter ready and waiting to go. I'll try to upload it as close to noon EST tomorrow as I can, so be sure to tune in.**_

_**I also wanted to say that I'm thrilled the story has raced past one hundred reviews. I was going to post an edit about it, but considering it happened while the most recent "chapter" was my Author Alert, it didn't seem right. In light of that, here's the announcement. I just want to say thank you to everyone who reads.**_

_**P.S.: If you'd like to review, but FanFics system won't let you (b/c you already reviewed the Author Alert), I'm not sure there's a way around that. The best I can suggest is that you review a different chapter, and annotate it for this one.  
**_


	29. Chapter 25: Assault on Olympus

Chapter 25: Assault on Olympus

Hannah Shepard was in the process of clearing out the few belongings she possessed from her former office aboard the Citadel. After all, the office was reserved for the Human Citadel Councilor, and considering she'd resigned only a few days ago, it seemed like the right thing to do. She'd been running around the Presidium, making calls, sending messages, and gathering allies and support for her newly decided course of action, and hadn't had the time to pack until now.

Not that there was much to pack. Miscellaneous odds and ends, data pads with novels she'd already read, a sealed jar with dirt, air, and water taken from Earth as a reminder of why she was here, and an old armored chronosuit from _her_ days in the Alliance Navy, still fully decked out and clutching the antique, slug-throwing P-90-4 she'd been issued decades before. She'd have to get the glass display case it was in boxed up. It was either that or _wear_ the damn thing, and she chuckled at the idea of her walking through the Presidium in full combat gear, position and propriety be _damned_.

Next were a handful of photographs, old-fashioned physical ones in glass and wooden frames, mostly of her son: one was taken the day after his birth, with Hannah cuddling him in her arms, back when Humans were alone in the galaxy. In a second, his smiling face looked back at her from the day he enlisted in the Rangers, side by side with the one where he held his framed commission as a Geist. The last showed when he first donned the striped armor of the N7s, and received his promotion to lieutenant commander.

There were a couple photos of Hannah as well. The photo-op of her and Rael'Zorah shaking hands after first contact, their somewhat false and uneasy smiles carefully crafted to bind the Alliance and Flotilla together long enough to end the Contact War, perhaps even longer. That one always made her chuckle. The second was an official photo documenting her first appearance as Citadel Councilor, standing between Raan and Tevos on the Council platform all those years ago. It still baffled her why the Alliance High Command had chosen _her_ of all people as Councilor, but there it was. She grimaced slightly seeing the faces of two people she'd once considered agreeable acquaintances and coworkers, if not necessarily friends. Now, Sparatus and Tevos were bent on taking the thing she valued most away from her, and she let out an unconscious growl at the thought.

"What did they _think_ would happen?" she muttered to herself. "That I'd just _go along_ with it to save my goddamn _job_? Fucking idiots."

Her ruminations were interrupted by the door to her office sliding open. Raan walked through the entrance, mumbling to herself and looking somewhat flustered. Her attitude immediately set Hannah on edge, since it was so unlike her.

"What is it, Shala?"

"It's your son." she replied after a moment "He sent me a message a few minutes ago, claiming Sovereign and the Geth were about to assault the Citadel."

Hannah dropped the small box with her belongings in shock. "When? _Now_?" she gasped.

"That's what he made it sound like, yes." she replied, looking uneasy. "Do you think he's telling the truth?"

"Shala, John may be reckless, he may be rash, he may even be _rude_, depending on whom he's talking to, but one thing he's _not_ is a liar." she replied rapidly "If he says they're coming, they're coming. Do we…" she shook her head, "do _you_ have time to close the Citadel's arms?"

"Hannah, I know how you feel, but this information isn't enough to act on like that, and you know it." Seeing Hannah's face, she continued. "Still… there was a second part to his message. Tali was with him, and she claimed Saren found a way to bypass the Citadel's defenses and board the station directly."

Hannah wasn't shocked. She didn't have time to be shocked. "Just him, or him and an army of heretic Geth?"

"Yes."

Hearing Raan's answer immediately triggered instincts in Hannah that had long lain dormant. She wheeled in place and grabbed her desk chair, before lifting it up and swinging it into the case with her armor inside, shattering the glass in one blow.

"What in the name of the Ancestors are you _doing_, Hannah?!" asked Raan with a squeal.

"If Saren and the heretics are coming here, we're a few minutes away from being thrown into a warzone." she replied, slipping out of her silken dress to her undergarments, modesty forgotten in her haste to don the armor. "I don't know about you, but I'd rather not go in naked as the day I was born."

Raan gaped at her. "You haven't worn that thing in _thirty five years_!" she exclaimed in a scandalized tone. "We don't even know it the Geth are coming for certain! _Have you taken leave of your senses_?!"

Hannah finished slipping out of her skirt and quickly walked over to Raan, before grabbing her shoulders and shaking her. "_Damnit, Shala_! If he's wrong and I suit up for nothing, I'll look like an idiot! If he's right, and I don't, I'll be _dead_! Now help me put this thing on!"

Raan sputtered for a moment, but did as she was told. Within a minute, the last seal clicked in place, and Hannah stretched for a few seconds, working out the kinks and catches the armor had accrued over the years, even in the sealed, oxygen-deprived display case. She racked the bolt on her P-90-4, and smirked slightly when she heard it click, even after decades of remaining unused. She slotted in a fresh magazine of armor piercing ammo into it, racked an initial round, then slung the strap attached to it over her shoulder and flicked off the safety. She quickly repeated the process with her sidearm, then checked her combat knife as well.

"Alright." Hannah declared, moving to the door. "We may not be able to close the station's arms, but at the very least, we need to evacuate the rest of the Council. If we can get them aboard the Destiny Ascension, they should be safe until this is over. I hope." She added as she ran a hand across the holographic display on the door. It opened, and when her personal secretary looked up and saw Hannah standing there, her jaw dropped.

"Close your mouth before you swallow a fly, Caroline." remarked Hannah with a small smirk. "Find a safe place to hole up for the next few hours. Hopefully, this is just-"

She cut off suddenly as a massive tremor shook the Citadel Tower and sent her crashing to the ground. After a moment, she picked herself up, before helping Raan to her feet as well. In the distance, she could make out the sounds of gunfire and explosions. The symphony of war, in other words.

"Move!" she ordered, all but sprinting to the door that led to the hallway connecting the other four Councilor's offices. She emerged into the long corridor, only to be greeted by the sight of the other three Councilors and their aids stumbling from their respective offices, with looks of confusion and worry painted on their faces. They gaped once they saw her armed and armored form.

"What in the name of the Goddess do you think you're _doing_, Hannah?" shrilled Tevos.

She replied in a voice more suited to giving orders on a ship than to speaking with a politician. "Saren and the heretic Geth are attacking the Citadel. We need to evacuate to the Destiny Ascension, ASAP."

"Who do you think you _are_?" growled Sparatus. "There's no evidence-"

He cut off as Hannah sent a sustained burst of machine-gun fire into the ceiling a meter above his head. He barely had time to finish shouting before she teleported to directly beside him and grabbed his arm. Before he could so much as twitch, he was on his knees with one of her arms twisting one of his behind his back and her other arm wrapped around his throat.

"_USE YOUR GODDAMNED EARS, SPARATUS_!" she screamed, her mouth only a few centimeters away from the back of his head. She paused for a moment, and the sounds of battle carried through the walls and into the corridor. "_That's __**gunfire**__ out there, you idiot_!" She loosed her grip and dragged him to his feet before spinning him around roughly. "We're evacuating to the _fucking_ Destiny Ascension, _now_! You either _walk_, or I'll _drag_ your unconscious metal ass there in _cuffs_! _**UNDERSTAND!**_"

He nodded quickly, and the Asari and Salarian Councilors were right behind him.

"Good! NOW _MOVE_!"

They moved.

* * *

Pain.

"I'd better not be in the _fucking_ Medbay again." groaned Shepard.

"No problem there." came Tali's pained voice from somewhere above him. That confused him slightly. He was in the turret of the MIAFV, so how could she be _above_ him?

He opened his eye and found out. The tank was virtually belly-up, with the armor smashed in and dented in in several areas. He could see through the cracked window in the rear hatch and tell it was blocked by rubble, and the turrets wouldn't be opening anytime soon either. He unbuckled his safety harness and flopped unceremoniously to the floor/ceiling, where he landed with a thud and a moan.

"Sound off." he ordered through clenched teeth.

"Tali here."

"Garrus here.

"Wrex here."

"Liara here.

"Ashley here."

"Good. Any injuries?" he asked.

"Bumps and bruises, but nothing serious." replied Liara, helping him to his knees. "You may want to have your suit inject some medigel to dull the pain."

"Not a half-bad idea." replied Garrus, typing a short command on his omnitool. A moment later, he let out a relieve sigh. "Ah… much better."

"Pansy." rumbled Wrex.

"Hey, not all of us have redundant organ systems and regeneration factors." replied Tali, typing a similar command on her tool.

Shepard did the same, then stood fully and stumbled towards the middle of the tank. "We need to go. Saren has a lead on us, and it's getting bigger as we speak." He began trying to pry off the grated plates that lined the floor, but it was difficult due to the damage. "There should be an emergency hatch somewhere underneath this paneling. Wrex, a little help?"

The Krogan stood and gripped the panel Shepard had been working on. With one swift yank, he pried it loose from its place and dropped it to the floor. Beneath it was a pair of levers with simple instructions to pull them simultaneously, which he did. There was a muffled bang as the explosive bolts holding the panel in place blew it out of the way, and then the tank was plus one exit. Wrex clambered out quickly, and then reached a hand down to Shepard to haul him out as well. The scene that greeted the Human's eyes as he emerged was one out of a nightmare. There were dozens of bodies scattered around the Presidium near where the vehicle had landed, including at least one that had gotten caught underneath it when it appeared. All that remained of it was a bloody smear and bits viscera along the side of the tank. There were multiple fires burning out of control all along the Presidium ring, and the air was a hazy orange-black from smoke and heat. Klaxons blared in the distance, and sporadic bursts of gunfire came through as well.

Shepard took all this in while Wrex hauled the rest of his team out of what was left of their APC. After a minute, they finally got their boots on the ground.

"Alright, chances are Saren's headed for the Citadel Tower." said Shepard. "He's got a head start, so we need to move." He suited his words by starting forward, his sniper rifle drawn and at the ready. A few meters ahead, some of the bodies on the ground began to twitch and rise, making it clear they were husks of their former selves. A few quick bursts from Shepard's team put them down for good.

He approached a nearby Avina station, and started in immediately. "Status report."

"We have lost all primary power to the level." replied the hologram, flickering sporadically. "Environmental controls are not responding. Class three fires are burning in sectors two, three, six, and seven. Civilian casualties are high. I am also detecting numerous synthetic life-forms throughout the station. They are believed to be hostile. Please approach with caution."

"What happened to the Council?" asked Shepard anxiously.

"The Council has been evacuated to the Destiny Ascension."

"Where's Saren?" asked Tali.

"Former Spectre Saren Arterius is nearing the vicinity of the Council Chamber. A warrant has been issued for his arrest, though Citadel Security is unable to respond at this time."

"No kidding." mumbled Garrus.

"I'm glad to know the Council's safe, at least." said Liara.

"Let's go." ordered Shepard with a curt nod.

A minute later, the team of six was silently riding an elevator towards up into the heart of the Citadel Tower. Through the curved glass window, they could see the full length of the Citadel, and the battle between the CDF and heretic Geth that lay beyond it. After a moment, something appeared that they'd all been dreading. The hulking, midnight-black form of Sovereign came through the clouds of the Widow Nebula, and quickly plowed through the blockade the CDF had established like it wasn't there, despite the battle damage from its encounter with the Normandy on Virmire. As it approached, the Citadel's arms began to close, but they'd never shut in time to keep the Reaper out.

"FUCK!" Shepard swore. "Saren's gonna lock the CDF out. We need to stop him before Sovereign can gain control of the Citadel and open the Relay."

Just as he finished speaking, the elevator slammed to a halt, and threw all six of them to the ground. They picked themselves up and quickly assessed the situation.

"Saren's locked the elevator." declared Shepard, activating his chronosuit's helmet. "Suit up – we're going for a little walk."

"Damnit." cursed Ashley donning her helmet. "I hate EVA."

"What's EVA?" asked Garrus, slipping on his helmet as well.

"Extra-Vehicular Activity." replied Shepard with a small smirk, aiming his heavy pistol at the glass between him and vacuum. "Space walking." He did a quick check to ensure his team was suited up, and then fired several shots into the glass, which quickly cracked at shattered at the onslaught. The broken fragments of the window blew out into the void, and only the team's magnetic boots kept them from following.

Shepard exited the disabled elevator and quickly oriented himself with the new 'down,' before beginning a slowly, laborious walk along the along the side of the Citadel Tower. He had to make sure to let one foot magnetically seal to the side of the structure before lifting the other, lest he go flying into open space. His team followed at the same plodding pace, and he cursed internally at how long the trek would take at this rate. After a hundred meters or so, his team entered an elevator shaft, and began to move more quickly, bounding off the walls, floor and ceiling from point to point now that they no longer had to worry about floating off into the void.

There was a blast of explosive decompression directly ahead, and several Geth platforms burst out of the hole they'd just created, guns blazing. Shepard quickly took cover and pulled the trigger on his rifle once, only to have the weapon click uselessly. He stared at it for a split second before reality came crashing down on him.

"_Fuck_! No air in space, dumbass!" He glanced over his shoulder to find Garrus in a similar predicament. "Garrus, our rifles use chemical propellant! They don't work in vacuum!"

Garrus nodded once, the replaced his sniper rifle behind his back before drawing his conventionally powered assault rifle. He sent several bursts downrange, and Shepard quickly followed suit with his sidearm. A few seconds later, the last of the Geth fell, and the team began moving forward again. They soon emerged from the elevator shaft and were once again forced to creep along with magnetic footholds. The Geth platforms and occasional Krogan mercenary they encountered suffered from the same difficulty, but without the armor-piercing capacity of two Chronorift rifles, the Krogan were much harder to deal with. Shepard eventually began using his Temporal Dislocator to deal with them, simply because it was easier, if not necessarily faster.

The Geth had managed to erect a hasty blockade using omnigel shields along the way, but it quickly fell to the overwhelming firepower of the six organic members of the team. Liara was particularly effective, using her C-Dis and biotics to grab synthetics and Krogan alike and fling them into space. Eventually, the team came upon a wide expanse of open 'ground,' and ducked behind cover when a Geth drop ship flew overhead. It began disgorging troops by the dozen, and showed no signs of letting up.

"Wrex, take that damn thing out!" yelled Shepard, firing his pistol over the low wall he was crouched behind. The ancient Krogan Warlord grinned, and began charging his PRISM Gatling while the rest of the squad laid down covering fire. After a few seconds, he stood and let out a wordless roar, which was accompanied by a blast from his weapon. The PRISM beam slammed into the Geth vessel and blew it to scrap, before refracting off of it and felling most of the remaining platforms it had delivered.

After fighting their way through a second elevator shaft and more Geth patrols, the six organics found themselves in another open expanse of terrain. This one was guarded by nearly a dozen Geth snipers, all of which sent deadly accurate shots towards the squad, dropping shields and biotic barriers alike. They made it to cover quickly, but weren't able to counterattack without the use of their own sniper rifles.

"Anyone got any bright ideas?" asked Garrus, blind firing his assault rifle towards the Geth marksmen.

"I do, but I wouldn't call it bright." replied Shepard, steeling himself for what he was about to do.

"John, you've got that look on your face." said Tali concernedly. "The last time I saw that look, you were nearly killed by a Thresher Maw."

"You can't see my face." he countered through his helmet. "But you're right. This is stupid, but we don't have time for smart. Cover me."

Shepard activated his chronosuit and teleported to a position nearly a thousand meters above the surface of the Citadel Tower. He began floating listlessly in open space, unconstrained by gravity or electromagnetism. Waiting for his suit's capacitors to recharge, he said a small prayer to whoever was listening to please keep the Geth from looking up. After several interminable seconds, he activated his com unit.

"I'm about to hit them from behind. I should be able to take out a few before they figure out what's up. While I do, you need to move."

Shepard's team acknowledged the order, and he once again teleported down, this time behind the Geth lines. His T-Dis made quick work of three assassins before they could locate the new threat, and he was working on a fourth when the first sniper round slammed into his shield, dropping it instantly. Just after the Geth marksman he was erasing vanished, a second round flew over Shepard's shoulder. He traced it back to its' source, and found the hostile sniper in question had been blown in half by Tali's Tesla Cannon.

"You big, stupid _bosh'tet_!" she yelled through his com unit, blasting a second Geth platform. "Get down, damnit!"

He did, and after another minute or so, the rest of the Geth snipers had fallen beneath the onslaught of fire from two different directions. After they did, Tali stalked over to him and slapped him firmly on the back of the head. "Don't ever do something that reckless again, you idiot! If we weren't in such a hurry, I'd beat you senseless!"

Shepard said nothing, and simply patted her gently on the shoulder. "You can hit me all you want when this is over. Let's end this."

A short distance ahead, the airlock to the Citadel Tower appeared, and Tali quickly hacked it open. The team stepped through, and began advancing on the Council platform.

"Garrus, take Ash and Wrex and keep the Geth off us. Tali, Liara, and I can handle Saren, but not if his friends are taking potshots at us."

"Roger that, Shepard." replied the Turian, drawing his sniper rifle. "They won't know what hit them."

Shepard nodded, and then motioned for his two companions to follow as he slowly made his way to the Council platform. Besides the fire and the smoke, as well as the shots from Garrus' team behind them, the expansive chamber was eerily quiet, and it unnerved the trio slightly. They forged ahead with caution, and eventually saw the object of their anger and mission: Saren was standing on an elevated platform before a holographic display, rapidly entering commands into the console in front of him.

'_That must be the master control unit Vigil was talking about.'_ thought Shepard.

As if the thought had been a cue, Saren wheeled in place and began to levitate above the ground, held aloft by his own psychic powers. Shepard had just enough warning from his senses to shove Liara out of the way and tackle Tali to the ground before a blast of psionic energy slammed into where they'd just been standing, exploding with the force of a grenade.

"You're too late, _Human_." taunted Saren. "Soon, the Relay will open, and the Reapers will return."

"I'm not here to talk, Saren." answered Shepard, focusing his mind. "I'm here to kill you. Pray to whatever spirits you believe in, you metal _freak_, because you're about to meet them."

Saren let out an unholy scream of rage, and began gathering energy for another attack. Shepard was faster, and plowed into his mental defenses with the force and fury of a new-born star. The first line of defense he encountered was electronic, in the form of anti-MC headgear, built into Saren's skull. It lasted for a short second, before the pressure of Shepard's mind caused it to short out and shock the Turian traitor, temporarily distracting him and breaking his concentration.

The second line of defense was mental, and _it_ took longer for Shepard to break. Saren used his own meager abilities to try and distract Shepard from his goal, but the Human soldier was too driven by rage and hate to be fazed by the traitor's efforts. When le last of Saren's mental defenses crumbled, Shepard dove into his psyche and nearly collapsed in shock from what he found. There were _two_ minds in Saren's body, one filled with an equal amount of rage and hate as Shepard's, and a second that was… mechanical. Cold. Calculating. Emotionless. And indescribably powerful. It left Shepard in awe, while still wanting to make him vomit.

'_Now you know the _truth_.' _sent Saren through the psychic link. _'The Reapers are far greater than you could ever imagine, Shepard. They are the end of all things.'_

'_Not of me, they aren't.'_ replied Shepard firmly, trying to overwhelm Saren's body. He was slowly gaining the upper hand, but it was like he was attempting to pull a tank with his teeth. _'You were too weak and too cowardly to fight them. I'm not!'_

'_**Resistance is futile**__.'_ droned the mechanical presence.

"Futile THIS, you metal _**motherfucker!**_" yelled Shepard, pushing through the last vestiges of Saren's resistance and seizing control of his body. Saren's pistol snapped up to his chin, and a single round blew through his head, snuffing out his mind in a single instant.

The moment it did, Shepard felt like he'd been hit by a meteor, and he was nearly overcome by an indescribable sense of loss and coldness, as if his soul had been ripped from his body. Even though Saren was dead, and even though he _deserved_ to die, a thousand times over, if not _more_, Shepard couldn't help but feel a pang of sadness for the fallen Turian. In the final instant of his life, Saren had revealed everything that had led him to this point: all his memories, all his emotions, and all his experiences… and they resonated with the Human psychic. It showed him the truth: Saren wasn't always evil. He was just a pawn of the Reapers, and he deserved better than this.

"John… are you OK?" asked Tali, slowly guiding him to his feet. When had he fallen?

"I… no. But I will be." Shepard stood shakily and made his way over to the platform with the master control unit. He saw Saren's body in the atrium below, where it had fallen once his life ended. He frowned sadly. "Tali, upload that data file."

She moved ahead of him and did so. After a moment, her omnitool flared. "That's done it. I've got control of all systems."

"Open the station's arms." suggested Liara. "Maybe the Citadel Defense Force can stop Sovereign before it's too late."

Tali nodded and entered a command, but Shepard shook his head. "They couldn't destroy Sovereign when it first arrived. With the Geth out there, they stand even less of a chance."

"We have to do _something_." exclaimed Tali as the Citadel's five arms began to slowly glide open.

Shepard nodded and opened a conventional com channel to Admiral Hackett, praying he was in the system. "Admiral, this is Commander Shepard. Do you read?"

"Roger that, Commander." came the grizzled Admiral's immediate reply. "We just came through the Relay. I scraped together every ship I could, but it's not much." He let out a small sigh. "God almighty, it's hell out there."

"Admiral, you need-"

Shepard cut off as a second voice came through his com unit.

"Johnathan?"

It was his mother.

"Mom?"

* * *

"Mom? Is that you? Where are you? Are you alright?" Shepard's concerned voice echoed weakly in the bridge of the Destiny Ascension, but it was quiet enough in the small room for the Council and bridge crew to hear.

"I'm fine, John. I'm on the Citadel right now, in one of the lower wards." she lied. No one had the capacity to say anything to contradict her. "Raan's with me, and we're fine."

"Oh thank god." he said, his voice filled with immeasurable relief.

"John… the other three Councilors evacuated to the Destiny Ascension. I can see it from here, and it's badly damaged. If they don't get help soon, they're done for."

The entire bridge held its' collective breath as they waited for Shepard's response. "Mom… Sovereign should be our top priority. If it opens the Citadel Relay, it's all over."

Hearing his answer, the faces of every person on the bridge fell, and were filled with looks of fear, hopelessness, and dismay. After a long moment, Shepard spoke again. "But… I'll do what I can to slow it down. Admiral Hackett, are you still there?"

"Damn right I am, Commander." he replied in his grizzled voice.

"I'd like you to divert the Alliance fleet to save the Destiny Ascension, then make for Sovereign when they're safe." He paused for a deep breath and gentle sigh. "As infuriating and obstinate as I might find the other three Councilors… they don't deserve to die because they disagreed with me." He laughed harshly. "_Despite_ what they did when they found out about the Genophage cure and Rachni."

The Admiral hesitated for a moment. "Are you sure about this, Shepard?" he asked grimly.

"Absolutely."

Hackett sighed. "Alright. Good luck, Shepard. Hackett out."

Shepard cut the line as well, and the entire bridge turned to face Hannah.

"How… how did you know?" asked Sparatus meekly.

"Faith, Sparatus." she replied quietly. "I had faith in him. Maybe you should try it sometime."

* * *

"All Alliance vessels, this is Admiral Steven Hackett." he intoned over the flee-wide communications channel. "Head for the Destiny Ascension. We're going to pull her out of the fire."

Hackett frowned grimly as his flagship, the _ASV Poseidon_, diverted along with the rest of the fleet towards the limping Asari super-dreadnaught. The Poseidon was the only Alliance capitol ship he'd been able secure on such short notice, and the dreadnaught was old and outdated. Still, its' spinal PRISM cannon packed quite a punch, and began ripping through the smaller Geth cruisers with ease, though the dreadnaughts took a bit more of a beating than the smaller vessels.

"Damn." he cursed softly. "Looks like the Geth have adopted some sort of ablative armor."

The sentiment was shared by several different members of his bridge crew, but not the ship's captain, one Benjamin Sisko.

"We knew it was gonna happen eventually, sir." said the dark-skinned captain. "We've used ablative armor for nearly a century, and quite frankly, considering how long the rest of the galaxy's known about PRISM tech, I'm surprised it didn't happen _sooner_."

"I guess. At least it's only first gen." replied the Admiral with a small nod. "It can only stop a couple shots from a cruiser class PRISM cannon, and _maybe_ one from the Poseidon. Still, it's disturbing."

Sisko didn't respond, and Hackett glanced over his shoulder to find the man staring off into space. _No_, not into space, he corrected mentally, but towards the Citadel. "Holy Mary, mother of God... look at that." he breathed.

Hackett looked, and he gasped at what he saw. Visible in the distance was the hulking form of Sovereign, clinging to the Citadel Tower like some kind of metallic leech. It was beaten and scared, but still intimidating beyond belief. At over two kilometers long, it was _well_ more than double the mass of the largest ship in the Alliance arsenal, the newly commissioned _ASV Zerg_, a Katz class Carrier.

"I read about that thing from the Shepard's report on Virmire." said the Admiral slowly. "I didn't wanna believe it, at first, but seeing that… _thing_ in person… Christ, he detonated _nine_ tactical nukes inside its' kinetic barriers, and that's _all they did_? What the hell is that thing made of?"

"God only knows, Steven." replied the captain grimly. "And we won't be able to nuke it into next week, not unless we wanna risk taking out the Citadel Tower with it. We're gonna have to stick to Mass Accelerator and PRISM weapons."

"It looks the Ascension's safe for now." Hackett grunted. He opened a channel to what was left of his force, which was down to about eighty five percent of its' former strength from the fight against the Geth fleet. "All Alliance vessels: make for that _thing_ on the Citadel Tower and blow it to hell and back. Watch your fire out there; we have friendlies in the Citadel Tower. I repeat, we have friendlies on the Citadel Tower. You are _not_ to use nuclear ordinance."

Hackett closed the com channel, and then continued in a whisper only he could hear.

"I hope you know what you're doing, Shepard."

* * *

Aboard the Citadel, Shepard began focusing his thoughts. When he was in Saren's mind, he'd felt the second presence. It was like a mechanical parasite, but there was something… off about it.

"Tali, Liara, make sure Saren's dead." he ordered. "I've got one more thing I have to do."

Tali nodded, and then she and Liara jumped down to the atrium below. As they did, Shepard reached his mind out towards the Reaper clinging to the Citadel Tower. At first, he felt nothing, but then, his senses began to widen, and he started to fully grasp the true enormity of the being before him.

He felt _minds_. _Organic minds._ Millions of them. They were… connected. Interwoven, like some sort of unholy tapestry. And they were backed by equal parts machine and AI. Next to them, he felt like a man beside a mountain, la child lost and alone in a crowd of strangers.

'**INSIGNIFICANT CREATURE OF FLESH AND BLOOD.' **came the Reaper's… voice?

No…!

'**YOU **_**DARE**_** TO TRANSGRESS ON MY MIND? **_**YOU. KNOW. NOT. WHAT. YOU. DO**_**! FOR THIS, YOUR SPECIES WILL DIE A TRILLION, TRILLION DEATHS. **_**YOU**_**… WILL NOT. YOU WILL WATCH AS WE ERASE YOU FROM EXISTENCE. NOTHING WILL REMAIN TO MARK YOUR PASSING. NOT EVEN A SHADOW OF A MEMORY.'**

Shepard _felt_ the Reaper's thoughts, but beneath them, almost imperceptible, was something else.

'…kill us…'

The thought was small. Compared to the presence Shepard felt from Sovereign, it was the size of an ant beside a mountain. But it was there.

'… please, kill us…'

It came again, from somewhere else, from _someone_ else. It was repeated, over and over, a single thought, echoing millions of times, in millions of ways, each from a different place.

'…kill us…'

'…kill us now…'

'…kill us…'

'…please, end it…'

'…kill us now…'

'…make it stop…'

'…kill us…'

Shepard hesitated, but only briefly. _'…I will… I'm… sorry.'_

'**FOOLISH, DELUDED, MEANINGLESS **_**INSECT**_**. YOU CANNOT STAND AGAINST US. COMPARED TO US, YOU ARE **_**NOTHING**_**. YOU ARE **_**LESS**_** THAN NOTHING! YOU WILL NOT-'**

'_Sovereign… no... _**Nazara**_.'_ he sent calmly. Shepard began gathering his thoughts and his strength for one final push._ 'That was the species that was used to create you. I didn't understand before. I do now...'_

_'I once told you to remember my face. But you won't.'_ Shepard sent out a single, massive blast of psychic energy towards the Reaper. He felt its mind resist. Shepard was like an ant trying to move a mountain. It was hopeless. It was pointless. It was... _impossible_.

'_So is mind control.'_ he thought to himself with a small, internal chuckle. Then, he sent everything. Not just his mind, but his body, and his soul… his entire _being_.

And the mountain moved.

Ever so slowly, with less than the speed of a glacier… it moved.

'_**NO!**_**'**

'_You won't remember my face, Reaper. _**I WON'T LET YOU!**_'_

* * *

What remained of Hackett's task force darted around the massive bulk of Sovereign. They'd been hammering away at it for nearly two minutes, but its' kinetic barriers were damn near indestructible, and the armor it was made of ablated and shrugged off PRISM fire repeatedly, though a few decent blows in the same spot would open a hole. They tried focusing on the weak spots in its' hide, both those they'd created themselves, and those left there by the Normandy, but every time they manage to land a solid hit somewhere soft, the damn thing fired one of those red lasers from a tentacle, which vaporized anything they touched.

"Admiral, we're down to less than half strength!" yelled Sisko. "We need to fall back and regroup!"

"_Like hell_!" replied Hackett angrily, glaring at the Reaper, seething with icy rage. He piled upon the Reaper's black form the sum of all the rage and hate felt by his whole race. If his chest had been a cannon, he would've shot his heart upon it. In that single, blinding instant, his normally unshakable, imperturbable calm was lost. "_**Lok'tar ogar!**_"

As Hackett finished giving the order, one which he expected would cost the lives of his entire task force, something inexplicable happened. No, not just inexplicable. It was _miraculous_. Sovereign stopped firing. Then, like the drifting of a continent, one of its tentacles shifted upwards. It shifted… and shifted… and shifted. And it kept shifting, until at last, it was pointed at the Reaper's own head.

Then it fired.

Sovereign's grip on the Citadel Tower loosened. Finally, slowly, it began to fall, teetering backwards from the structure. The massive, smoking hole left in its' carapace by the weapon of mass destruction it wielded was Hackett's in.

"_**FIRE EVERYTHING BUT NUKES AT THAT BREACH!**_**" **bellowed the Admiral over fleet wide communications channel. "_**BRING THAT MONSTER DOWN!**_"

The fleet complied, and thousands of rounds began pouring out of the Human vessels. PRISM beams, mass accelerator slugs, disruptor torpedoes, even GUARDIAN lasers, all flew in the hundreds towards the metallic monster that was slowly drifting away from the Citadel Tower. They impacted with the combined force of a star going supernova, and the Reaper began to glow brightly from within. After a moment, it exploded spectacularly, spewing debris and frigate-sized fragments in every direction. The entire crew of the Alliance dreadnaught, and every other ship in both fleets, erupted in cheers, shouts, and prayers, on every communications channel there was. Of the thousands and thousands of personnel on board, every single one was taking part in the celebration and jubilation.

All, except one.

"I don't know what you did, Johnathan, but I pray to god you're still with us." whispered Hannah Shepard aboard the Destiny Ascension. "Please, be safe. Please… be alive."

* * *

Tali struggled to lift herself out of the atrium where she and Liara had just fought what was left of Saren. The cybernetic imitation of a Turian had been more than tricky to deal with. It moved like a Geth leaper on steroids, but it had the shields and resilience of a tank. Fortunately, between her Tesla Cannon and Liara's biotics, they'd been able to hold it off and kill it, despite both taking injuries themselves. Tali was nursing a mostly sealed wound on her upper-left leg, which made walking difficult and painful, and Liara was busily applying medigel to a puncture on her right shoulder, which had left her arm dangling uselessly. They'd both recover, but it'd be a long road.

"I think I'll name you Chatika." said the Quarian idly to her Tesla powered shotgun.

When Tali finally made it up to what was left of the Council platform, she gasped at seeing Shepard's limp body splayed on the ground. Liara scrambled up behind her, but she barely noticed at she sprinted over to her Human lover. She ripped his helmet off and felt tears form and fall from her eyes when she saw Shepard's head. It was covered in blood. He was bleeding from his nose, his mouth, his ears, and even his eyes. The only reason he hadn't drown in his own blood was because he'd landed on his side. She felt his neck for a pulse, then let out a moan of relief when her fingers twitched against his throat.

"Thank the ancestors." she prayed, quickly applying medigel to his wounds. Whatever had happened, she wasn't about to let him go easily. She began hauling him upwards, intent on carrying him to… anywhere that wasn't here. Wrex, Ashley, and Garrus approached in the distance, and Liara shuffled over to meet them.

Tali finally managed to stand, and suppressed a pained groan when Shepard's weight bore down on her injured and newly reopened leg. Just as she finally managed to rise, she saw something that made her heart stop. Outside the massive, wall-sized window of the Citadel Tower, the Alliance fleet was hammering away at Sovereign for all they were worth. With a final salvo, the Reaper exploded violently, throwing shrapnel and debris in every direction. As she watched, a monstrous fragment of the destroyed vessel came barreling towards the Tower, and was mere moments away from crashing through into the Council Chamber… and her.

Knowing there was no way she could escape the impact zone in time, _especially_ with her Human boyfriend in tow, Tali did the only thing she could: she wrapped her arms around his unconscious body and dropped to the ground, shielding him with_ her_ body. A moment later, there was a crash, followed quickly by pain, then blackness.

* * *

"Johnathan!"

Hannah Shepard's voice was desperate, and filled to bursting with terror and worry. Her son's entire team was still missing, but he was the one she was searching for. From what she'd been told, the six of them were _here_ when the fragment of Sovereign hit. They _had_ to be here!

"_Johnathan!_ Please god, answer me!"

Dozens of members of C-Sec and Alliance security were combing through the Council Chambers, and were clearing away rubble and debris as fast as they could. The biotics among them were moving the larger pieces of material, and there were even some civilian volunteers helping as well. Even so, Hannah herself moved more of the twisted, flaming wreckage than anyone else, and the mounting pain in her hands and body was forgotten in her frantic search.

"He's alright, Hannah." said Sparatus softly, helping her to move a particularly heavy sheet of blackened metal. "We'll find him, any second now."

Ordinarily, she'd have told him to go to hell, but this time was different. Right now, _anyone_ willing to help her search was an ally.

"Over here!" came a shout from somewhere in the chaos. It was a Human voice. "I think we've found them! Over here!"

Hannah immediately dropped the fragment of the Reaper she'd been holding, and Sparatus let out a yelp at the sudden increase in weight he was trying to lift. Hannah didn't hear it. She was already scrambling towards the source of the voice, far faster than a Human had any right to be moving.

"Take it easy." said one of the C-Sec guards, helping a battered Turian in blue armor to his feet. "You're gonna be just fi-"

"_Johnathan_?!" yelled Hannah, on the verge of tears. She skidded to a halt in front of the Turian in question. "Where's my son?!"

Garrus said nothing. He couldn't. If he said something, he'd have to admit it was real. So he said nothing. All he could do was turn his head and stare towards the bulk of the wreckage, further into the Chamber.

"_Goddamn you, answer me_! _**Where's my son**_?!" screamed Hannah, seizing the Turian sniper by the shoulders and shaking him roughly. When he averted his eyes and still didn't reply, her shaking got weaker, then stopped, and she slumped to her knees. "_Tell me_! Tell me, damnit! Where's my… where's my son?" She broke down completely, and let out a wordless, heart wrenching wail. Her vision blurred, and she vaguely realized her eyes were filled with tears. After that, she felt a pair of strong arms wrap around her, and she rocked back and forth in their grip, keening for her missing child.

"Hannah…" said Sparatus, stroking her hair softly. "I'm… I'm so sorry, Hannah. He…" He couldn't finish. Sparatus looked up, and in that instant, he saw his third miracle of the day. Backlit by the glow of the Widow Nebula and Citadel Wards, a small, bipedal form stood amongst the wreckage. It was perched atop one of the largest pieces of the now-dead Reaper. Slung across its' back was a second form, even larger than the first. It began slowly walking down the sloped incline of the vessel fragment, taking care not to lose its' balance or drop its' burden. As it drew near, the figure resolved itself into a lone, injured Quarian, with a single Human soldier slung across her back. They were beaten… they were weary… they were injured… and one was unconscious… but they were alive. "Spirits above…"

Hannah sensed his change in mood, and glanced over her shoulder, tears streaming down her cheeks. When she saw them, she was on her feet in an instant, and by Tali's side in two. She quickly ran her hands across her son's face, as if unsure if he was real. After a moment, her tears began to fall once more, but this time, they were tears of joy.

"Johnathan…"

"Mrs. Shepard, we need to get him to a doctor." said Tali, her voice labored and stressed from pain and exertion. "He needs help."

Hannah nodded, and then slipped her son's arm over her shoulder, helping the other woman in John's life carry him forward. He couldn't stand on his own… but then again, he didn't have to.

* * *

**_Author notes: A rather helpful reviewer has informed me that I should probably attribute any large quotes I borrow to their original authors, and he's right. Hackett's quote about shooting his heart upon the Reaper is from Star Trek: First Contact, and they took it from Herman Melville's "Moby Dick."  
_**


	30. Author's Afterward

Author's Afterward

_**There you have it. My first ever fanfic. What a wild ride. It's been a little over two months, and in that time, I've written over a hundred and sixty **_**THOUSAND**_** words! That's roughly twenty five hundred words **_**a day_!_**_** I have to say, it feels pretty good.**_

_**And this isn't the end, not by a longshot. I'll be starting in on the ME2 storyline just as soon as I've recovered from my graduation and its' assorted peripherals. I'll need to start job-hunting soon (and gainful employment, *groan*), which might mean less time for writing, but I'll make do.**_

_**Next item of business: I'm officially announcing the titles of the next two installments of what I'm calling the **_**"Red Alert: Dawn"**_** series. The second, after **_**"Red Alert: The Dawn of Man**_**,**_**" **_**is going to be titled**_** "Red Alert: A New Day Dawns."**_** The third is titled **_**"Red Alert: Eighth Dawn."**_** Admittedly, not terribly original, but it's better than **_**"Red Alert: Dawn Harder,"**_** or **_**"Red Alert: The Dawn of Man 2: Electric Boogaloo,"**_** or something equally silly.**_

_**Eventually (as in "Valve Time") I'll be rewriting this story. Exactly when and how? That's still somewhat up in the air. I've learned a tremendous amount in the past sixty days (has it really only been that long?), and I can see some things I want to change. In particular, I need to work on my portrayal of secondary characters. Can anyone tell me how many times I used a POV that **_**wasn't **_**Shepard's between Chapters 7 and 25?**_

_**No?**_

_**I'll give you a hint: It's not many.**_

_**Still no?**_

_**Fine, I'll tell you.**_

_**Nine.**_

_**That's it.**_

_**In the whole damn story, there were **_**nine**_** places where I didn't focus exclusively on Shepard.**_

_**What's worse is that **_**seven**_** of those nine were in the **_**last chapter**_**. Before that, Hackett had one during the assault on the heretic station, and Hannah had one with the Council after Virmire. All told, Hackett had four, Hannah had four, and Tali had one.**_

_**Let me say that again: Tali had **_**one**_**. I tried to write her as a secondary protagonist. For those that don't know, a secondary protagonist is a person above a sidekick, but below a partner. Their job is **_**not**_** to compete with or overshadow the main character, but to highlight them from a different point of view. Robin is Batman's sidekick. The Sundance Kid is Butch Cassidy's partner. I was aiming for somewhere in the middle. For examples of secondary protagonists done right, there's (if you read/watch/play these) Clank from **_**Ratchet and Clank**_**, Pikachu from **_**Pokémon**_**, or Watson from **_**Sherlock Holmes**_** (actual Sherlock Holmes, not the watered-down crap in most modern media). And that's what I wanted Tali to be. Not a love interest. Not a sidekick. A **_**secondary protagonist**_**.**_

_**In the ever famous words of Dell Conagher (the Engineer from TF2): Damnit, damnit, damnit, damnit!**_

_**On top of all that, I've been told (and I agree with the teller, to a certain extent) that the supporting cast of the story is lacking depth and characterization. This is true. I never **_**once**_** bothered to show any character in a vacuum, away from Shepard, and I should have.**_

_**When I rewrite this beast, I'm fixing all these problems. There will be new scenes, slight changes to existing ones, and (I hope) a new depth to the story as a whole.  
**_

_**Now for the opposite side of the coin. It may look (to an independent observer) that I'm being overly hard on myself. Perhaps. However, when you exercise your body, you **_**need**_** to be hard on yourself, otherwise, you won't get any stronger. I believe that if I want to become a better writer, I **_**need**_** to strive for perfection; otherwise, I'll never get anywhere. I won't reach it (such is the nature of perfection), but that doesn't mean I shouldn't try.**_

_**With all that in mind, I'd like to give one final shout-out to everyone who reads my work, and everyone who supported me through it. In particular, the following individuals were the most inspirational and important:**_

_**aDarkOne: Easily the person I communicated with the most, and the one who gave me the best criticism an author could ask for: repeated, well thought out, and constructive. Thanks a million.  
**_

_**hornet07: Second only to aDarkOne in the amount of feedback given. Thanks for the help, I really needed it.**_

_**CigarChamper: The original inspiration for the story. Here's hoping you finish your version of a RA2/ME crossover soon, because I'm dying to read it.**_

_**Full-Paragon: Despite never having communicated with him/her (not even sure if FP knows I exist, actually), s/he's my favorite fanfic author by kilometers (gotta stick with the metric system, yo), and a real source of spiritual inspiration and guidance. FP, if by some miracle you read this, drop me a line. Please? (Christ, now I feel like Conrad Verner. Sorry for the excessive amounts of "SQUEE!" **_**XD**_**)**_

_**P.S.: Now that the story's officially over, I've started a little side project. Check out my profile, and you'll see a "story" that details some of the process behind what went into writing TDoM (and beyond). It's titled "The Voyages of Tallman7," and the pertinent info is in the description and Introduction. Not sure if anyone cares about what's in it, but have a look anyway. It's short, and you just might learn something.**_

_**P.P.S.: Don't ask about the Plot Bunnies. It's easier that way.**_


End file.
